Hans van Breukelen blasts Dutch penalty woes after World Cup exit

The Netherlands' World Cup campaign ended in a penalty shoot‑out loss to Morocco after three Dutch players – Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville – failed to convert from the spot, sealing elimination on Tuesday night in Doha, Qatar. The defeat sparked criticism of the team's penalty preparation.

Former Netherlands goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen, who also played for PSV and FC Utrecht, expressed frustration with the current standard of Dutch penalties. He dismissed the notion that a quality spot‑kick cannot be trained as outright nonsense.

Speaking to Omroep Brabant, Van Breukelen said, “You still have ‘minkukels’ who claim it’s a lottery and that pressure on penalties cannot be trained. But that is the biggest bullshit there is.”

He added, “If a player has dreamed a hundred times about walking the forty metres to take a decisive penalty, the image is already in the mind. Your heart rate often exceeds one hundred, and you step into the moment having trained it countless times.”

Van Breukelen argued that teams already rehearse free kicks, corners and throw‑ins, so penalties should receive the same focus. He cited research indicating that 99 percent of balls struck a metre under the crossbar find the net.

He noted, “I have been shouting this for twenty years, and still some ‘minkukels’ say pressure cannot be trained.” The former keeper emphasized the need for systematic penalty practice.

The missed spot‑kicks by Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville ended the Netherlands’ World Cup run. The defeat leaves Oranje out of the tournament and prompts renewed debate over penalty preparation.