Netherlands:

She shone with three goals in the semifinals of the European Championship against Spain (3-1), as we know her. Only this tournament something is different with Yibbi Jansen: she is playing this EC with her first name on her back. The first hat trick for ‘YIBBI’, with quite a star status both on and off the field.

The first push hard left against the board, the second half high into the corner of the line stopper and the last one again on the left, but then almost perfectly into the side netting. Very much sharper couldn’t have been possible. Three goals in the semifinals, as many as she made in the three pool games before this.

Yibbi Jansen obviously likes being the hero for a while. The hero who helped Orange to a final ticket. But she is also critical. ‘Opponents know me. Know that I am going to push. They come up with a response. And it’s up to me to anticipate. I needed more corners the other games to score. I’m glad that’s why it all fell in today. It’s a good moment,” she says.

For example, against Ireland, the Dutch achieved eleven corners – Jansen did not take them all for her account, only one of which went on target in the end. The numbers in the semifinals were much better. The Netherlands used three of the six. ‘Sometimes you need a few corners to play the game with the defense,’ she described. ‘But our corner was sharp. For example, the passing was super good and the timing of the stop was perfect. Then I got a little extra time to dodge the outrunners.’ Her favorite? ‘I thought the third one looked really nice. That one was just good hard with the right height,’ she smiled.

Photo: Willem Vernes

Scared of falling behind?

The Netherlands started the semifinal against Spain well, with two small chances for Fay van der Elst. Still, the team fell behind after five minutes: a brilliant tip-in by Patricia Alvarez made it 0-1. That was a bit of a shock for the Dutch, who last fell behind nine games ago. It took some time to get over the disappointment.

But it did not make Jansen restless. ‘I really thought: it will fall by itself,’ she looks back. ‘Spain was quite low. We tried to attack a lot, but there was little room to make field goals. So we had to rely on the penalty corner,’ says the matchwinner. And so that ran smoothly. Great timing, because it was a bit of a search this tournament. ‘In the end I look at the corners I get in the match. If we get a total of 11 against Ireland, I’m critical of the corners I pushed from that. For me it’s about the number of chances I get in the match and what choices I made. I could have done things better, so I’ve been really critical.’

‘It’s a nice, positive twist for me that I’m not playing with Jansen on my back anymore. I thought it was unique. And it’s kind of my own brand, too.

Not Jansen but Yibbi

Scoring still succeeds for her. She dominates the top scorers list at the European Championship with six goals. With or without a last name on her back, because this EC she is not playing with Jansen, but with Yibbi. ‘I just liked it and have also had a lot of nice reactions,’ she says of her striking choice. ‘It is recognizable. In the Netherlands, so many people are called Jansen. I’m happy with my first name,’ she says. ‘It’s a nice, positive twist for me that I no longer play with Jansen on my back. I thought it was unique. And it’s also kind of my own brand.’

Photo: Willem Vernes

After her golden Olympics, Jansen enjoyed an impressive career: she was named World Player of the Year by the FIH, voted Sportswoman of the Year by FHM, was the star of the Hockey India League and, meanwhile, amassed more than a hundred thousand followers on Instagram. Her career is booming, which is why she decided to make her first name her own brand.

All conceived at the HIL, earlier this year. In India, everyone plays by first name, so Jansen also got a shirt with Yibbi. She liked that, so she started thinking and asking around.

Yibbi soon also at SCHC

Because was this also allowed in the Netherlands? The answer: yes. Since one year you can choose the name on your jersey, as long as it is in your passport. So this EC she chose her first name. A choice she keeps. Also at SCHC, because she plans to show up in Bilthoven with her first name on her back.

Photo: Willem Vernes

In field hockey, we should just be happy with someone being recognized by something. Nobody bothers if I play with a white hair band.

The brand of Yibbi naturally includes her white hairband. Part of her trademark. And exactly that one is up for debate. ‘During our first match I heard I’m not always allowed to play with that band,’ she says. Here’s the thing. If she plays in orange, with a white hair band, the opponent’s main color may not be white. ‘I find that really super sinful,’ she says.

‘In field hockey, on the contrary, we should be happy for someone to be recognized by something. Nobody bothers if I play with a white hairband when I’m wearing an orange jersey. If it were disturbing to the opponent or referee I could understand it, but in my eyes this is not a problem,’ she begins her plea. ‘I would actually support it as a sport. I’m advertising field hockey,’ she clarifies.

She wears a hair band. Anyway.

Because she only learned about it during the tournament, she didn’t have time to make arrangements. Something that bothers her even more. ‘I do think something of it, but then I would have told you two weeks earlier. Then I could have arranged something,’ she says. ‘The white hairband belongs to me. We should be happy with that instead of wanting to break it off, shouldn’t we?” she asks aloud. But the Yibbi brand wouldn’t be Yibbi if she was arranging something.

‘If we play in the final against an opponent with a white jersey, I will definitely wear a hair tie. Either way.’