CHELSEA ace Ian Maatsen had to dump his glitzy summer holidays to compete in Euro 2024 for the Netherlands.
Maatsen, 22, spent the season on loan at Borussia Dortmund where he shone bright as he helped the Bundesliga giants reach the Champions League final where they lost 2-0 to Real Madrid.
However, the full-back was initially left out of Ronald Koeman’s squad for the European championship in Germany, much to the surprise of many.
Thus, the Dutchman decided to spend his summer holidays in Greece with his girlfriend where he would regroup while enjoying some sunshine.
The defender sailed for Mykonos and shared some snaps of his luxurious holiday on social media aboard his £564,000 yacht.
Maatsen and his girlfriend looked set for a month-long vacation in the Med while island hopping on a Hermes Yacht.
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However, the left-back finally got the call from the Dutch national team and immediately swapped the sunny Greek weather for Germany’s rainy and cloudy climate.
Koeman has been dealt a couple of devastating injury blows with both Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong and Atalanta ace Teun Koopmeiners ruled out of the tournament.
So the ex-Everton boss decided to shake things up and gave Maatsen a call so the player could fly to Wolfsburg for training.
Netherlands’ Euro campaign kicks off on Sunday when they take on Poland at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg.
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Koeman’s men are facing a daunting task as they have been drawn in Group D, which also includes Austria and France.
Maatsen could now play a major role in the tournament following an impressive campaign that saw him register a total of 38 appearances for Dortmund.
The wideman also made the Champions League’s Team of the Season – this all comes after another successful loan stint at Burnley whom he helped earn Premier League promotion last year.
However, it doesn’t seem certain that Maatsen will be returning to Chelsea this summer as he prefers a permanent move to Dortmund, just like Manchester United ace Jadon Sancho.
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Netherlands Euro 2024 guide
RONALD KOEMAN has overhauled Holland’s playing style after returning for a second stint in charge.
Captain Virgil van Dijk will be expected to be a stalwart in defence while Xavi Simons will be hoping for a breakout tournament. But they may miss injured Frenkie de Jong.
MANAGER: Ronald Koeman
Ex-Barcelona and Everton boss was the scourge of England as a player when he knocked Graham Taylor’s side out of World Cup qualifying in 1994.
STAR MAN: Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool star has won everything there is to win at club level and will be counted on to keep things tight at the back.
How Holland attack
The Netherlands will play with a typically Dutch patient possession-based build-up.
They will stagger their positions to play through the lines, but can be overly individualistic in the final third.
How Holland defend
The Dutch will play with a medium block, allowing the opposition to break the first line before engaging in the midfield area.
They can run into problems when they fail to protect the middle of the pitch.
Read the full Netherlands 2024 guide here, including predicted line-ups, odds and Wags
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
