Ronald Koeman’s ass

Ronald Koeman’s ass

Oranje won the semi finals at the EC1988 against West Germany. It was an emotional, intense match, with lots of sentiments – partly football-related, partly older – and a euphoric end for Holland. After the match, Ronald Koeman – scorer of the equalizer – took Olaf Thon’s shirt and wiped his ass with it, in front of 1000s of fans and smack in front of the rolling camera’s. A scandal was born. Auke Kok wrote a book about it!

Even before the finals against the USSR was won, the EC’88 was a tremendous success. A high point in Dutch football after the abysmal loss against our Eastern neighbours in 1974. After the match, the players exchanged jerseys. Ronald Koeman wanted Olaf Thon’s.

Auke Kok: “Olaf Thon was lost in his own thoughts. Disappointed. Tired. Empty. He was sitting on the pitch, taking off his boots. If there was one player in the German side, who couldn’t be called your “typical Kraut”, it was Thon. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. Everyone loved him. Modest and friendly. Only 1.70 meters high but gifted with a beautiful pass in his feet. His style could be called “Dutch”, even. He lived and played football close to the Dutch borders, at Schalke 04. An intelligent playmaker, playing with jersey number 10. Of course Koeman wanted his shirt.

Thon got on his feet, gazing on the grass, and pulled off his jersey. Koeman gave his, the bleak orange shirt every fan hated, back to Thon.

KNVB official Jan Huybrechts was standing close by. What? What was that?? Did he see that correctly. It’s can’t be true. Huybrechts saw that Koeman didn’t pulled the shirt on, nor did the Oranje last man chuck it over his shoulders as some players do. He saw Koeman take the shirt and use it – demonstratively – as toilet paper to wipe his ass with it! While Rijkaard and Kieft were hopping around, a smiling Koeman made everyone belief he just wiped off his butt with a German shirt!”

This Koeman action was cause for an outrage. The first one to react was Koeman’s dad Martin (former Oranje international and FC Groningen official). Martin Koeman: “That was totally uncalled for, You can’t play great football and win and then lower yourself to that.” Koeman senior was flabbergasted. Ronald thought it was a good laugh.

Four days later, Ronald Koeman responded: “German reporters asked me if I made this gesture towards the German people. I said, no no… Only against the German team. But I know I shouldn’t have done it. But to say I regret it…no…not really.”

Despite all the outrage, the KNVB didn’t want to punish the PSV captain. No one wanted a conflict with manager Rinus Michels. Because, what would be the appropriate thing to do: suspend Koeman for the finals? The KNVB would organize a hearing some weeks later and that was all that was heard of it.