SC Freiburg: Mark Flekken « embittered » after not being nominated for the World Cup
Netherlands without Freiburg in Qatar
SC Freiburg’s Mark Flekken made his debut for the Dutch national team in March last year. This was followed by three more appearances, including against Germany, out of a possible seven games. Surprisingly, that wasn’t enough for a World Cup nomination. Bonds coach Louis van Gaal took Andries Noppert, who played his first games for Oranje in the final, and Justin Bijlow to Qatar instead. A few weeks later, Flekken expressed his anger at the disregard.
« I was in disbelief. I wasn’t disappointed, I was angry, » the 29-year-old told Kicker. « I would have imagined that the end of 2022 would be a little different, but I believe that everything happens for a reason. After the first four or five days, I closed it for myself because I couldn’t change it anyway The gaze moved forward again. Ultimately, the decision was up to the bond coach, and he had to have reasons for it.
Along with Flekken, van Gaal – who didn’t pass the decision on to him personally, but had it passed on through his goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek – not only gave up the second most valuable Dutch goalkeeper with a market value of €7m. euros, but also to one of the goalkeepers with the cleanest vests compared to the 5 best European leagues. This season, the SC pro has kept eight clean sheets out of 15, surpassed by just seven other keepers.
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SC Freiburg’s Flekken hoping for another chance under Koeman
Fleeken hopes for a new chance after the departure of Van Gaal, which was planned after the World Cup and for which Ronald Koeman returned to the bench of the « Elftal ». « I know the new goalkeeping coach (Patrick Lodewijks, ed.) already had me on his card when I replaced ‘Schwolli’ (Alexander Schwolow, ed.) in 2019 for ten games. But back then, I hadn’t been called up because I wasn’t a regular number two. I could relate to that. Now it’s up to me to perform and continue at the level I was at. And then it’s up again to the coach. »
At the end of March, he will be on the sidelines again for the first time in the European Championship qualifiers in France and against Gibraltar and will nominate his team for this. « If things go so well that I can play for the national team again, then I will be happy. And I would also like to shorten my vacation for the Nations League final, » Flekken said of the tournament. June in front of his home crowd, for which Croatia, Italy and Spain also qualified.
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