Mike Verweij and Valentijn Driessen listened in growing disbelief to Nigel de Jong on NOS. Both men believe the KNVB's director of elite football stabbed Michael Reiziger in the back.
De Jong did that by explaining at length why Xavi, and not Reiziger, had become head coach of the Netherlands national team. "Because of the passion and dominance he radiates, the experience he has as a coach, the personality to get through to the boys. And because he embraces our football culture. He very much has the identity we want to see with the Netherlands national team," De Jong said.
He then added: "I still hold Michael in high regard and we still believe Michael can become a successful coach and a possible national team coach in the future," but Verweij and Driessen saw that more as "a parting kick". They also felt revealing Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot as the first two candidates, ahead of Xavi, was hugely clumsy.
"You could of course also just say that you had a shortlist, that you called them all, that two were unavailable and that you moved on with Xavi," Verweij said on the Kick-off podcast of De Telegraaf. "Now Xavi is basically already known as the 'third candidate'. Those are real rookie mistakes."
Verweij, though, blames De Jong even more for something else. "By praising Xavi so highly, he is simply stabbing Reiziger in the back. Because all the qualifications that made Xavi the one to get the job, Reiziger apparently does not have."
Pim Sedee then suggested that the knife in the back mainly came from the hugely critical Dutch press, but Verweij and Driessen did not agree. "De Jong suddenly mentioned many different things now from what we have been saying all this time," Driessen said.
Driessen then doubled down. "This time it was very specific. Dominance, being able to get hold of people, the Dutch school. That sort of thing. And apparently Reiziger does not have any of that. Reiziger was already 2-0 down with the media and because of these kinds of statements he has to swallow two more goals. From his own director," Driessen concluded.