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Ammon News - Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman has called up Joshua Zirkzee to complete his 26-man squad for the European Championship, filling a gap created when midfielder Teun Koopmeiners was cut earlier this week after suffering a groin injury.

Koeman did not initially replace Koopmeiners, but brought 23-year-old Zirkzee’s post-season vacation in Florida to an early end after another striker in the Netherlands squad, Brian Brobbey, hurt a hamstring in training at the team’s base in Germany. Brobbey remains with the squad at its Wolfsburg base.

After hearing of his call-up, Bologna forward Zirkzee posted a photo of himself smiling broadly on Instagram with the text “When you get the call to leave Disney for the Euros.”

Zirkzee has never played an international for the Netherlands’ senior team. He joined the Bayern Munich youth academy and played a handful of games for the German powerhouse before moving on loan to Parma, then Anderlecht before signing for Bologna in 2022.

He was the Serie A club’s top scorer last season as the team qualified for the Champions League.

The Netherlands, whose only major tournament success came at the 1988 European Championship, opens its Euro 2024 Group D campaign on Sunday against Poland in Hamburg.

AP