Like other European teams, Liverpool was forced to release some of its executives, called upon to join their respective teams in view of the international break. As such, Ryan Gravenberch, freshly recruited by the Mersey club in the last hours of the summer transfer window, was supposed to join the U21 selection of the Netherlands to play two matches, against Moldova and against North Macedonia. However, the Dutchman did not respond favorably to this summons, preferring to concentrate on his move to Liverpool.
However, this decision was not to the taste of the coach of the Dutch first team, Ronald Koeman. In front of the press, the Batavian technician did not hesitate to openly criticize the player for “having refused to play for his country”. This media outing by the ex-Barça coach subsequently displeased Liverpool, according to information from Daily Mail. According to the British tabloid, the English club defended its protégé by affirming that it had previously contacted the Dutch Football Federation to warn them of his absence. At the same time, the 21-year-old midfielder also informed his U21 manager, Michael Reiziger, of his decision.
