File photo of Cody Gakpo© AFP
The Netherlands team has shown support for striker Cody Gakpo after he and his partner, Noa van der Bij, suffered the loss of their unborn child during pregnancy. Coach Ronald Koeman and captain Virgil van Dijk praised the couple’s strength during this difficult time, according to Reuters. Van der Bij shared the news on social media on Saturday (local time), and Gakpo has been granted time off to be with his family, who are staying near the team’s base in Kansas City as the Netherlands prepare to face Morocco in their Round of 32 clash on Monday at Guadalupe, Mexico.
Coach Koeman said the team and staff have provided all possible support to Gakpo during his personal loss. He added that Gakpo was given time to be with his family and handled the situation with strength, without expressing a need to immediately return to his family.
“We have done what was within our power in terms of support, as players, as staff. Of course, the first few days he had the freedom to go out to his family and be with them. He dealt with it very well, there was never a moment where he said ‘I want to go back, I want to be with the family’,” he said as quoted by Reuters.
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk said the team’s priority was to support Gakpo and understand his needs following his loss. He stressed that football comes second to life’s more important matters and praised Gakpo and his family for handling the situation with maturity.
“The most important thing is to ask: ‘what do you need?’ It’s awful news and it shows that football is secondary. There are more important things in life. It’s very sad but Cody deals with it. He’s very mature, very adult. I have lots of respect for the way he and his family are handling this. However awful it is, I respect it very much,” he said.
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