Koeman Demands More from Xavi Simons: Netherlands Coach Urges Improvement”

Ronald Koeman, the Netherlands national team coach, has emphasized on Monday, during the press conference before the match against Germany in Frankfurt, that he expects more from midfielder Xavi Simons, who has a past with Barcelona. The former player and manager of FC Barcelona commented on Xavi Simons’ performance against Scotland and stated that “he is self-critical” and always strives to improve.

“I talk to Xavi about how he feels, about his position in the team,” said Koeman during the press conference of the Dutch team. “He wants to excel for the Dutch national team. Xavi is quite self-critical and admits that he lost the ball many times and that it’s not acceptable. In your own half, you always have to think about retaining possession of the ball.”

Despite the convincing victory against Scotland in a friendly match, Koeman also demanded more from the rest of the team: “I want us to play better when we have possession of the ball and concede fewer chances. We suffered too many unnecessary losses, which I did not expect from some players. It was disappointing.”

The former FC Barcelona coach did not reveal the starting lineup that will face Germany on Tuesday, nor the system he will employ. Nevertheless, Koeman expressed caution regarding the German team: “We would be very foolish if we didn’t closely monitor players like Toni Kroos, as France did, because every ball that went through him ended up in the right place.”