The Netherlands’ plans for their European Championship semifinal against England were thrown off on Tuesday due to travel disruptions. They had to change their travel route to Dortmund because of a “blockage” on a train line.
Originally scheduled to take a train from Wolfsburg to Dortmund, the Dutch team had to switch to a flight covering around 300 kilometers (186 miles) instead.
This unexpected change led to the cancellation of their planned pre-match press conference at Westfalenstadion, where coach Ronald Koeman and defender Nathan Aké were supposed to speak.
Reports from Dutch media indicated that players and staff were informed about the train cancellation while waiting on the platform.
Germany’s unusually warm temperatures on Tuesday may have contributed to the disruption.
It’s customary for team members to take a stroll on the pitch the day before a Euro 2024 match.
England coach Gareth Southgate expressed confidence that the Dutch team wouldn’t be too impacted by the travel issues. “We don’t play until 9 p.m. tomorrow so there’s plenty of time,” Southgate remarked, smiling. “I’m sure they’ll still manage to have dinner when they arrive.”
