NewFootball
Ronald Koemen selected eleven new players for the Dutch national team’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Something similar happened in 1921, but it was intended as revenge.
The Dutch team of 1921 against Switzerland. Photo from the KNVB collection via Amsterdam City Archives
It is very exceptional that a national coach changes his entire starting team compared to the previous match. It was the first time for Ronald Koeman to do something like this against Bosnia and Herzegovina, ultimately with mediocre sporting results.
The first for the Dutch team was on March 28, 1921. The team was completely renewed for a home match against Switzerland. Of the eleven players from the previous match against Spain, none were fielded. There were no fewer than seven debutants in the team, plus four experienced internationals. No substitutions have been made yet.
Sabotage of the most genuine kind, wanton disruption of a well-intentioned organization
Antwerp 1920
The Dutch Football Association (the K for Royal only came in 1929) made this radical intervention after the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp. Conditions for the footballers had been very poor in the city, which had been badly destroyed during the First World War less than two years earlier. Due to a lack of proper accommodation, they were housed on the ship The Hollandiathat according to The Fatherland was terrible: ‘A nasty, gloomy hovel, in which no prisoner is kept.’
The sports officials had of course arranged good accommodation for themselves, which made the mood among the football players even worse.
After winning two games against Luxembourg and Sweden, the footballers therefore rebelled after a defeat against Belgium. “Unfortunately there are sad things to report,” opened the New Rotterdamsche Courant the news of this mutiny. At a nearby hotel, some players tried to forget their misery at the bar and on the dance floor, ‘drinking champagne with ladieswhose conception of virtue is of questionable breadth.’
An idea from a football manager to visit a flower exhibition was turned down. ‘Sabotage of the most genuine kind, wanton disruption of a well-intentioned organization.’
What an annoying lack of care, leadership, organization, what a mess, what bungling
Staking
As punishment for this mutiny, the Football Association decided to send four players home before the third-place match against Spain. However, captain Leo Bosschart intervened and declared on behalf of all players that the entire team would then resign. In other words: the internationals threatened a strike. To prevent an upset against Spain, the football association subsequently withdrew the punishment – shaking with anger. After which the Dutch also lost that match.
The Telegraph then blamed Bosschart for all the misery, as a kind of leader of a communist revolution. Some things just never change.
Only The Fatherland defended the players because they had been treated so poorly by the officials. That newspaper drew a completely different conclusion than the NRC: ‘What an annoying lack of care, leadership, organization, what a mess, what bungling.’
After the Olympics, football officials took revenge. The entire team that had played against Spain was replaced in the next match. With this new team, the Netherlands won 2-0 against Switzerland at home.
Bosschart was never called up again as leader of the uprising.
In light of the drastic changes made by current coaches, what lessons can be learned from past incidents, such as those in 1921, regarding player morale and public perception of the team’s decisions?
Guest 1: Coach Ronald Koeman
1. What was your motivation behind selecting an entirely new starting lineup for the Dutch national team’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina? Was there a specific strategy or message you were trying to convey with this move?
2. How do you think this decision might impact the team dynamics and morale, particularly given the underwhelming sporting results?
3. In your opinion, what are the challenges coaches face when making drastic changes to a team’s composition, and how do you ensure that it doesn’t negatively affect team cohesion or performance?
4. Could you share your thoughts on the historical context of such an unconventional move in Dutch football history? How do you think the current team and situation compare to the 1921 incident mentioned in the article?
5. as someone with experience leading both clubs and national teams, what advice would you give to other coaches who might be considering a similar approach in the future?
Guest 2: Dutch Football Historian
1. Could you provide more information about the circumstances that led to the complete renewal of the Dutch national team in 1921? Were there any specific events or factors that contributed to this decision?
2. How did the players’ living conditions during the Olympics affect their performance, and why was there such a strong reaction against the Football Association?
3. Do you think the decision to punish the players by replacing them with debutants was justified, or was it a case of poor management from the Football Association?
4. Given the ongoing challenges faced by athletes during international competitions due to quarantine measures and strict protocols, do you think a similar situation could occur today if players’ needs were not met adequately?
5. In the current era of professional football, how do you think coaches should balance the importance of team unity and player satisfaction with pursuing their vision for the team’s success?
