Juventus midfielder Teun Koopmeiners enjoyed his playing position with the Netherlands as he helped his national team beat Norway.
The Dutchmen hosted the Scandinavians in an international friendly held in Amsterdam. Andreas Schjelderup gave the visitors the lead, but the home side turned the result upside-down thanks to goals from Virgil van Dijk and Tijjani Reijnders.
For his part, Koopmeiners provided the assist for Liverpool defender’s equaliser from a corner kick. According to FotMob, the former Atalanta star was the Man of the Match with an 8.0 rating.
Teun Koopmeiners delivered the goods in a hybrid role for the Netherlands
On paper, the versatile Juventus man played as a right winger in Ronald Koeman’s 4-2-3-1 formation, while Reijnders started as an attacking midfielder behind Donyell Malen, with Cody Gakpo on the left wing.
Nevertheless, Koopmeiners explained that he didn’t play as a genuine winger, but was instead given the license to cut to the centre of the pitch and take part in the buildup. The 27-year-old felt that this role suited his characteristics.
“The idea was for me to start as a nominal right winger and then drift inside into midfield, operating almost like a second attacking midfielder,” said the Juventus man in his post-match interview (via IlBianconero).
“The system we used today (4-2-3-1) suits me. If they stuck me out wide, hugging the touchline with chalk on my boots, that wouldn’t be for me.”
Koopmeiners has been struggling to find his play at Juventus
Throughout his career, Koopmeiners operated in a host of playing positions. This has also been the case since joining Juventus in the summer of 2024, and it can be argued that his ideal playing role remains a mystery.
Following his success at Atalanta, the Dutchman was identified as the perfect attacking midfielder who would add creativity to the team. However, he offered very little in that role.
Nowadays, he’s considered a squad player capable of filling various roles. Luciano Spalletti often deploys him as a central midfielder, especially when either Khephren Thuram or Manuel Locatelli is unavailable, and he occasionally plays as left centre-back.
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