Gullit unloads on Oranje, Putellas joins Van de Donk

Putellas joins Van de Donk at London City

Alexia Putellas is joining London City Lionesses. That means she becomes a teammate of Dutch international Daniëlle van de Donk (1). The Barcelona legend and two-time Ballon d'Or winner makes the switch after a trophy-laden spell in Spain. For Van de Donk, it means linking up with one of the best midfielders in the history of the women's game at club level.

Gullit: 'I could no longer defend them'

Gullit pulled no punches after the World Cup exit to Morocco. "Ik kon ze niet meer verdedigen", I could no longer defend them, he said of the Oranje performance (2). The 1988 European champion watched his former side crash out in the round of 16 and reached his limit. He has also sent a clear message to the KNVB about the search for a new national team coach (4). Gullit wants the federation to stop chasing big names and focus on someone who understands Dutch football.

Doubts over Slot as Oranje coach

Arne Slot is being talked up as a dream candidate to replace Ronald Koeman, but not everyone is convinced. Robert Maaskant put it bluntly: "Slot is no extremist", meaning his tactical profile does not fit the Oranje job the way some assume (3). Hedwiges Maduro also voiced reservations. The debate over who takes over from Koeman is getting louder, and the KNVB has no clear frontrunner.

Derksen slams KNVB director and Van Dijk

Johan Derksen tore into both KNVB director Marianne van Leeuwen and captain Virgil van Dijk. "Komt geen zinnig woord uit", not a sensible word comes out of either of them, he said (5). Van Leeuwen's leadership of the federation is under scrutiny, and Van Dijk's role as captain is being questioned following the World Cup disappointment. The pressure on every level of the Dutch setup is mounting.