Teun Koopmeiners ended the international break on a high. The midfielder had waited a long time for minutes with the Netherlands, but he scored straight away on his debut under head coach Xavi.
He opened the scoring against Serbia with a precise free-kick as the Netherlands went on to win 2-1. "I hit it towards goal and if nobody touches it, the ball goes in. Nice to score," he said afterwards.
That may give Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti something to think about again, with Koopmeiners recently slipping further and further out of the picture. Various Italian media outlets have even suggested the midfielder could leave this winter.
Speaking on Saturday at the press conference ahead of the league match with Cagliari, Spalletti said: "He has probably made a few mistakes, but I am convinced he can prove his value. I have not lost my faith in Koopmeiners."
The 67-year-old also explained what he values in the Dutchman. "Koopmeiners is a versatile player with vision and ball control that allow him to dictate the tempo," Spalletti continued. "He is a defensive playmaker who can keep the team moving."
For now, Spalletti still seems to see an important role for Koopmeiners at Juventus. The midfielder remains under contract in Turin until mid-2029.