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The Netherlands are already under pressure in their opening match against the European Championship newcomers Wales. Looking at the world rankings, the "Dragons" are the worst team to have made it to Switzerland this summer, ranking 30th, while The KNVB team, on the other hand, narrowly missed the top 10 at 11th place. The Welsh women's national team secured a place in the playoffs by finishing first in qualifying Group B4. There, the "Dragons" secured their ticket to the European Championships in Switzerland with victories against Slovakia and Ireland. This marks the first time the small British nation has participated in a major tournament. Under coach Sarina Wiegman, the Netherlands won the European Championship in 2017 and reached the World Cup final in 2019. But in September 2021, Wiegman took over the England women's national football team. Since then, the Metherlands has struggled to find a successor. Mark Parsons was dismissed after the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2022 European Championship. Since then, Andries Jonker, who has also coached Bayern and Wolfsburg in the men's Bundesliga, has been in charge. |
