OFFICIAL: Former Real Madrid & Inter midfielder Sneijder retires from Dutch national team.
Wesley Sneijder born 9 June 1984, he is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Qatar Stars League club Al-Gharafa and the Netherlands national team. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season and one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA.
A product of the AFC Ajax Academy, he previously played for Ajax, with whom he won four trophies and was awarded the Johan Cruyff Trophy in 2004. He was sold to Real Madrid for €27 million in 2007, winning La Liga in his first season with the club and later being sold to Internazionale for €15 million. At Inter, he won Serie A, the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, and two Coppa Italia. After being sold to Galatasaray for €7.5 million in 2013, he helped the club win the Süper Lig in his first season, following with the capture of the Turkish Super Cup, after a 1–0 win against rivals Fenerbahçe.
Wesley Sneijder puts a point behind his international career. De Utrechter (33) decided to do so after an extensive discussion with national coach Ronald Koeman, who visited Sneijder in Qatar
Koeman and Sneijder spoke about the future of Orange. Koeman: "Wesley is one of the best Dutch footballers of recent years. A great player with a great appearance. But I want to select, build a new Oranje and have to make choices. "
Pleasant conversation
Sneijder understands that the national coach takes a different route: "When I left for Qatar, I knew of course that this could have an impact on my career as an international. Moreover, I understand that Koeman wants to make a new start with other, younger players. We spoke very openly about this and that was a very pleasant conversation. I respect his choice. "
Wesley Sneijder has the ambition to follow the trainer course after his active career. The KNVB and Sneijder will jointly explore the possibilities of whether players and federations can remain connected to each other in the future.
Record international
Wesley Sneijder played in the Dutch national team for 15 years. He made his debut in 2003 in the friendly match against Portugal and grew to record international. Last November he played his 133rd and last international match against Romania. With Orange, he finished second at the World Cup in South Africa (2010) and third at the World Championships in Brazil, four years ago. `
The KNVB will use the coming period to reflect on a fitting farewell for Sneijder.