Arne Slot will have a conversation with Marcos López on Monday. The Feyenoord coach left the full-back on the bench after Quilindschy Hartman dropped out during the match against FC Utrecht (4-2).
At the press conference after the game, the coach indicated that it was not an easy choice to bring in Bart Nieuwkoop instead of López. “I also think Bart (Nieuwkoop, ed.) is a very special player. He gives so much energy to the team. That in combination with the fact that I think Hancko can also perform very well as a left back. Argument three is that Lutsharel Geertruida is not only a very good right back, but is also a very good central defender.”
The Feyenoord coach is aware that he is disappointing López. “That is one of the most important parts of being a trainer, to manage that. You can assume that Marcos López will be in my office tomorrow. I have no illusions that I can justify the choice I made today, but I can explain it to him.” The course of the match also influenced Slot’s choice. “I made a different choice today, partly in view of the score of the match. You try to explain that and then provide some perspective for the coming weeks,” he concludes.
