Derksen and Van der Gijp slam Gakpo for backing Koeman

Johan Derksen and René van der Gijp harshly criticised Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo on Vandaag Inside after he praised Ronald Koeman’s substitutions, saying the Dutch international should keep quiet about the coach’s decisions. They argued his comments undermined team unity and echoed past criticism of similar statements by former coach Dick Advocaat in 2004. Derksen said, "Ik vind het altijd leuk als voetballers solidair zijn met de trainer", while adding, "Ik lees vanochtend een interview met Cody Gakpo en dat was niet de moeite waard. Ik zou het ook niet nalezen. Hij zegt dan: 'Als spelersgroep waren wij het roerend eens met de wissels van de trainer', dan denk ik: ja...". He made the remarks during the talk show Vandaag Inside, broadcast by VI. René van der Gijp responded, "Dan kan je beter je mond dichthouden", and continued, "Dan kan je beter inderdaad je bek houden. Zo'n aanvoerder, die heeft ook nooit wat te melden, maar die kan dan ook zeggen: 'We zijn het hier helemaal niet mee eens'". Van der Gijp, a former player of PSV, Sparta Rotterdam and SC Heerenveen, delivered the criticism on the same programme.

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Cody Gakpo, who plays for Liverpool and the Netherlands national team, had spoken about the substitutions, suggesting the player group fully agreed with Koeman’s changes. His remarks implied unanimous support for the coach’s decisions during the 2-2 draw with Japan. Van der Gijp linked the criticism to a 2004 episode when Dick Advocaat was blamed in Portugal for similar comments. He noted the backlash after Koeman’s changes in the 2-2 draw with Japan. Both Derksen and Van der Gijp urged Gakpo to keep quiet about the coach’s decisions, arguing that a captain should not publicly claim unanimous agreement when there is dissent. They emphasized that solidarity with the trainer should not be expressed at the expense of honest discussion. The exchange took place on the talk show Vandaag Inside, where former players regularly appear as guests. The programme is known for candid analysis of the Dutch national team, often featuring strong opinions from its regular panel.