Bologna top goalscorer Joshua Zirkzee will not feature at the EURO 2024 tournament in Germany this summer after being left off Netherlands provisional 30-man list.
On Thursday several international sides like France and Germany, as well as the aforementioned Netherlands, released their provisional squads.
Though the Netherlands have issued an initial 30-player squad, which will need to be trimmed down to 26 for the final tournament, Zirkzee has not made the cut.
Among notable names who made the provisional squad are Virgil Van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Daley Blind, Frenkie De Jong, Denzel Dumfries and Nathan Ake.
Zirkzee, 22, has been one of Bologna’s key players during the 2023-24 season, in what will go down as an historic campaign.
Bologna secured a spot in the final edition of the Champions League for the first time since the competition’s inception.
Zirkzee has scored 11 goals and provided five further assists for his teammates across 34 matches in Serie A this campaign.
For large parts of the season, reports have suggested that Zirkzee is ready to step up to a ‘big’ club this summer, with Milan rumoured to be the most interested party in Italy.
The player reportedly has a €40m release clause in his contract. Though some understood that clause to be valid only for his former club Bayern Munich, it has since been clarified that the Bavarians have the first right of refusal, and that the clause is in fact valid for all clubs.
Born in the Netherlands to a Dutch father and a Nigerian mother, Zirkzee has only featured for the junior Orange side.
18 Comments
Adeyemi and this Zaki boy are a good example of black men who have refused to wake up to reality that they’ll not be valuable to their masters even if they were born in their colony except if their talent is extraordinary like saka. A message to all foreign born find your ways back home because the love abroad is fake and only with benefits of what extraordinary you can offer. Olise and Eze you have the time to rescind your decisions and not be another graveyard bus parked after meagre appearances for your colonial masters, a word is enough for the wise GenZ!!!
Did Dominic Solanke make the Three Lionc of England squad to the Euros? If not ,then,there is still a window of opportunity for him to switch allegiance to Nigeria. Karim Adeyemi is cap-tied to Germany with 4 international caps.For Joshua Zirkzee(Netherlands) and Tobias Lawal (Austria),Felix Uduokhai(Germany) and Ime Okon(South Africa),it is not too late to retrace their steps and play for Nigeria.
Everyone can’t play for Nigeria… We are not a dumping ground.
Olise did not make the French squad.Who will he displaced? Tchoumani of Real Madrid? Thurman of Inter Milan? or Kolo Mouani of PSG? Truth is he has to move to a top two club in the top 5 leagues in Europe and perform consistently to stand a chance with the French team as the Competition for places is very intense.But he still have time on his side as he is only 22. Same cannot be said of Eze at 25.It will take a miracle for him to make the England squad to the Euros. Those two appears to be the only ones that can add real value to the Super Eagles. You can imagine a SE team with Iwobi, Eze and Olise.
In truth, both Zirkee and Adeyemi( where he not to be cap tied) will not be an automatic pick for the super Eagles. Zirkee still have time at 22 with a potential move to Arsenal to change his outcome.They both tried to use their Nigerian options to force their way into the teams but obviously their national team coaches are not fazed
Southgate will prefer a limping Harry Kane to a flourishing Solanke, Same with Maguire over Tomori.
In all cases though, they should learn from Tammy Abraham who is firmly established in the international football wilderness at 25.Also, those guys must understand that we are not a second option or fall back position to any foreign born players, we are a top team in Africa and respected in world football
Thank you Ehi for a great comment. I ll always celebrate comments that are insightful and clean in this forum. Devoid of curses and abuses. Those who curse don’t know they sowing seeds which they will reap. Every idle words must be judged. Thank you Ehi.
I think these olise and eze should be left alone. They have made their choices. They should remain with their choices.
I don’t even care if they don’t make it or make it these teams. That’s their own wahala. I care about those we have now who are ready to play for us.
The reason why I love desser. He could have tried to play mind games and try to force himself into Belgian squad but this guy said it loud that he wanted Nigeria. Bassey is another case. Lookman quickly retraced his step.
My advice we should not try to talk to them again. We are not Benin republic or Togo. If they repent and they want to come in the future we can give them the chance. We should not make feel important by begging then again.
Thank you Jimmyball. We are not a dumping ground.
See fish brain… Dem select a misfiring old cargo kante languishing below Al hilal in retirement league over hot form Olise scoring bangers for Palace in Epl from box to box midfield position and you people are here playing blind. Lol keep making excuses because Chima was mocking them so you can get back at me. But I don’t care because some people think outside the box while you decide to keep yours in pocket. No be me start fight lol I just say make I find trouble small @Christain ministries!!!
For the case of Kareem. A Nigeria didn’t come first Germany approached him first. So we can still speak to him now. For the rest I think I’ve followed some articles about them saying they’re not interested in SE so they should face their music. We need Eze and Kareem in our SE team. Because of their creativity. And ball retention skills which some of our attacking midfielders lack in their profile.
Please who’s using my name to send abuse? Wonderful una don start? @Christain Ministries no vex!!!
If I were the coach, if you don’t play ( or at least make yourself available for selection) in the qualifiers you won’t be considered for the main World Cup.
I agree that we should not beg anyone to play for Nigeria. That would be impractical.
However, let us not forget who we are. A country who’s football officials are incompetent, won’t pay coach salaries and players bonuses, a country with little to no player development, poor facilities, league sef dey substandard. We had ZERO input into development of these foreign born players. Eze for instance is a 100% English product. If we get him, we will be benefiting from English invesmtent.
Yes, we can’t beg anyone to play for us, but we also are in no position to do unnecessary shakara. Players like Eze and Olise will add massive value to our squad if they choose to join us. Let’s approach them. If they say no, that’s it. We will use the players available. If we then qualify for the world cup, and baboon now wan chop after monkey don work finish, then we will decide if we want them or not.
Some of this foreign born players are piss poor. Look at Aribo. Rubbish.
Better we are a dumping ground for world class products than be a market place for riff raff products who cannot even attract clubs from the Sudanese league.
Morroco reached the semifinals of the WC for the first time I nearly a century for Africa, thanks to being a dumping ground for French, Dutch or Spanish born morrocans.
Algeria won their last afcon and went on a records 34 or 35 game unbeaten run thanks to being a dumping ground for their largely French born contingent.
Senegals has been at the peak of African football for the last 5 years too, thanks to being a dumping ground of foreign born world class players.
Every French team you see at any world cup today is often largely composed of more than 80% of non-originally French men or women.
It is only an arrogant country like nigeria with a pisspoor footballing administrative and structural system and a league poorer than thatt of Tanzania or Sudan that will claim it doesn’t need its foreing born citizens in this age and time.
95% of players of Nigerian origin making waves in Europe are either foreign born or foreign groomed. The more of them we can have in our pool, coupled with solid, sound, experienced, highly competent and proven technical crew, the better for us.
As it is now, the best back 4 combination Nigeria has now are all foreign born….take it or leave it.
Once again, Better we are a dumping ground for world class products than be a market place for riff raff products who cannot even attract clubs from the Sudanese league.
The top scorer in the Nigerian league last season or thereabout I heard now plays in the Rwandan League…..LMAOoo. yea you heard me….Rwandan League.
I just saw this comment.
I couldn’t agree more!
Please let us continue to be a dumping ground for world class, quality players!
A Dr Drey well crafted master piece without plenty insults. Otherwise how una dey Dr Drey, Omo9ja, Kenneth, Deo, Christian Ministries, Greenturf, Sly, and the other protocols duly observed?
Super Eagles will be great.
I was saying this from the time of Bukayo Saka and alot of people who were opposing me and against my reasoning are now turning a new leaf and having a new outlook on this. Some players of Dual nationality are in demand by both nations and have options some only have one and the nff should know this and use a different approach when approaching them. Like when Pinnick came out to say what he said about Saka after Saka rightly got upset Pinnick went to the media about thier secret discussions and needed time to digest the meeting, later getting upset with Saka and saying he should now beg Nigeria haba no be like that now. If you are courting a fine girl with options you no go wait say make she come beg you nah lie lie.. Anyway good to see people know now
Look Only Bassey and Lookman are the real quality players who could make Englands squad now aswell as Tella however in the past we have got players who only had us to fall back on. Now thier are many who if we tap into them now we will reap the rewards in 2years if we dont we will only make England and France stronger because they will surely make those teams next inter window after Euro’s it is as simple as that
Eze is gone he made Englands Squad but that guy Olise for instance if we dont convince him now when he moves to Man U or Arsenal next season it will be too late.
More players are going to switch as the WC gets closer and qualification look good. Im alarmed that Finidi can say he does not believe in a formation lol … I’m hoping it aimed at throwing off SA and Benin. Formations are very rudimentary in football.