Telstar and AZ Alkmaar held a joint tribute on Sunday for Bartina Koeman, the wife of former Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman who died on September 15 after a long illness. The moment took place in Alkmaar ahead of the league match which AZ won 1-0, a game where emotions ran high for the Telstar squad.
Ronald Koeman jr., Telstar's goalkeeper, was visibly moved during the ceremony. Players and staff from both clubs paused to honour the loss. Manager Henk Brugge said his goalkeeper had found an outlet in football this week. "He wanted to play at all costs," Brugge said.
A minute's silence was observed before kick-off on September 20 at the AFAS Stadion in memory of Bartina Koeman. Ronald Koeman had announced her passing earlier on Instagram. "With intense grief, but also with great pride and love, we say goodbye to my beautiful wife, our dearest mother and grandmother," he wrote. FC Groningen fans also held a moment of silence on Friday evening.
The match itself, in which Mexx Meerdink scored for AZ after nineteen minutes, was overshadowed by the sorrow. Telstar sits thirteenth in the Eredivisie with five points from seven games following this defeat. The team is struggling to score and has conceded twelve goals. The full standings and upcoming fixtures are available on our site.
The team is trying to separate sporting and personal grief. The next opportunity for points is at home against ADO Den Haag, who are seventeenth, on October 11. The squad hopes to take the field with renewed focus then. The recent winless run, their form is LDLDL, demands a turnaround. Telstar's squad must regroup after this emotional week.
First reported at Soccernews.nl
