For the first time, a team under his leadership lost a final. At the 2023 European Championships and at the Games a year later, Jeroen Delmée’s Dutch team ran away with gold. At the 2025 European Championships, his team had to settle for silver. But that didn’t just displease the national coach.
‘I think we are further ahead than in Paris.’
Those were national coach Delmée’s first words after the lost final against Germany. On Saturday, the Dutchmen lost to their arch-rival on shoot-outs, after a game (1-1) in which the Netherlands dominated. Had many chances for a second goal. But ended up empty-handed.
‘I especially wanted this tournament to see where we stood after the Games,’ Delmée said. After the gold in France, he saw his group bulging. Taking time off for, say, a social career or a lucrative appearance in the Hockey India League. Orange was certainly an afterthought in the first months after last summer. So the wheel had to be reinvented a bit when everyone put the Dutch national team back at the top of the priority list.
Photo: Willem Vernes
Actually, we only really started again with this group from June. When I see where we are now, within two months, I think we are further on than a year ago. In terms of field hockey and dominance. And there is still room for improvement. There are still guys coming in, which also increases the competition again.’
‘Everyone expects you to win it’
Hopeful words following the Orange’s first final as a world leader. We have said it before: Delmée’s formation has become the team everyone (looks up to). ‘We were now in the final in a different way. Everyone expects you to win it. That gives a different kind of stress than when you have nothing to lose. I sometimes talk about that with guys from Bloemendaal, who recognize that from club field hockey. But those expectations didn’t paralyze us. On the contrary, I think we played our best game of the tournament in the final.’
Delmée saw a team he enjoyed. That radiated that they were in the final to win. ‘Afterwards, I told the boys I was proud. We wanted to play the final in a way where we couldn’t blame ourselves for anything afterwards. We played like a champion for sixty minutes. Only we didn’t win.’
Jean-Paul Danneberg, the goalkeeper who gave Germany the win. Photo: Willem Vernes
That game gives the Brabander confidence for the future. ‘Suppose you get outclassed here, then you know you’re behind. But now we are just on track towards the World Cup. And honestly: it’s also good to feel again what it’s like to lose. You don’t want that a year from now. We have guys who have lost almost nothing. It is important that they realize that it is not normal to always win. Certainly not in men’s field hockey.’
Visser and Meijer still on par
A recurring topic this tournament was the goalkeeping battle between Maurits Visser and Derk Meijer. As Meijer pointed out, that battle was just for show. ‘The choice to rotate was already made with Spain,’ Delmée explains. ‘There Marc Miralles played as cornerman. He played field hockey last season with like Maurits at Bloemendaal. That was an advantage. Besides, Maurits had already played in an EC final.’
Photo: Willem Vernes
‘From then on we started counting, so they would play equally. I am actually not in favor of swapping goalkeepers, but I thought beforehand that Maurits and Derk were equal. And actually they still are. They’ve both been good goalkeepers this tournament. I think it was great how both goalkeepers handled it. They supported each other, worked together and showed that they can both perform at top level.’
And because of that Meijer kept going, both goalkeepers now have a final behind their names. ‘For goalkeepers, the older the better. It is an experience profession. It only starts at the age the boys are now, as late twenties. You have to make mistakes and experience matches like that. That will eventually make you calmer and better,’ states Delmée, who also indicates that the equal status of Visser and Meijer will not last forever. ‘Towards the World Cup we will make a choice. That’s good for rest.’
by Hockey.nl
