Final in Estonia
Xander Dierckx and Louie Van Gelder took part in the U17 European Championship final in Estonia, where they won the silver medal after a penalty shootout against Italy. In regular time the Belgian team had drawn in injury time, when Dierckx made an unfortunate handball and a penalty was awarded. The shootout ended with a 4-3 victory for Italy.
Coaches and Guidance
National coach Sven Vermant stressed that “top sport can be hard” and that the quality delivered was the basis for the silver medal. Thomas Wils, who has been coaching at the Topsportschool in Wilrijk for years, guided Dierckx and Van Gelder and led them last year with Geert Emmerechts to Antwerp’s U16 title.
The Players in Detail
Dierckx, the taller of the two, likes to infiltrate the opponent’s box and showed this several times in the final. Van Gelder is more of a controller with good feet. Van Gelder is still waiting for his debut in Antwerp’s first team, after being sidelined by glandular fever last season. Dierckx, on the other hand, broke through in December and played a total of 23 matches, 19 of them as a starter.
Penalty Shootout and Player Reactions
Dierckx converted the first penalty of the shootout flawlessly. “Xander said very confidently: ‘It’s good, I’ll take the first.’” Vermant said. Despite the good start, Noa Ojea and Tinus Moorthamer, who were transferred from Antwerp to Racing Genk this summer, missed the fourth and fifth penalties.
Historical Significance
Vermant calls the fact that this is the first Belgian U17 team ever to reach a final a historic fact. Wils explained that Dierckx and Van Gelder “trust each other blindly” and that their complementarity stems from their football intelligence.
Future and Exams
With the final behind them there is little time to pause, as exams begin on Thursday. The football association sent a study coach to support the players.
