Football Insights – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
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Football Insights – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

International football takes center stage over the next 10-days with Eurpe's best going head to head in the Nations League. Former Dutch international Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink spoke exclusively to Genting Casino about Ronald Koeman's move to Barcelona, who will replace him as head of the Dutch national side and about the future of Atletico coach Diego Simeone.




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Atletico Madrid


After nearly 10 years at the club, do you think it is time that Simeone took on a new challenge?

I feel Simeone’s time at Atletico Madrid could be coming to an end – I don't see him there long term. You feel that he is dropping off, more in the intensity of himself. If you remember him a few years ago on the side-line, he always had lots of energy. I think he needs a break. 

He's done an absolutely magnificent job. He has stayed the same in the way he approaches the game. But other teams now have found loopholes in his game. He hasn’t been able to kick it on and other teams know they need to be really patient when playing Atlético, instead of really going for it, they wait and take their chance.   


A host of Premier League clubs have been linked with some of Atletico’s best players. How important is it for them to keep them?

Atlético Madrid are a selling club. They buy young, they buy cheap, they buy well. They develop the players and they sell them to big clubs for bigger money. They have done that in the last 10 years or last 20 years, or even the last 30 years. 

They have bought, but they are sold for more. If João Félix fulfils his potential, they’ll only be able to keep hold of him for a maximum of two more years – nothing more than that.


The Netherlands


Is Ronald Koeman the right man for the Barcelona job?

Ronald Koeman is a good fit for Barcelona having played there previously. It is obviously his dream job although I’m surprised he left the Dutch National Team because the Dutch had the feeling that the next International tournament was one they could do damage in. 

What I don’t understand is that next year is going to be another election of the Barcelona President and when that happens, the President could bring his own manager. So, he's perhaps got one year with some security, but then he has given up on the Dutch national squad. 

Look, we don't know his reasons but he is a very, very, very good coach. Lots of experience, speaks Spanish fluently and loves the club.


Is Koeman the man to get the best out of his fellow Dutchman, Frenkie De Jong?

Frenkie De Jong is a free spirit. He will keep on getting better. He's somebody that gets his head down, does the job and learns. There are going to be a lot of changes at Barcelona, but he's not going to be one of them. He's going to stay. I think they see him as the future there. He's such an important player for Barcelona and also for the Dutch national team.


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V: 1.35.0 All rights reserved. August 2021
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