Champions LeagueJune 13, 2026
Krol: "I hope for an always competitive Napoli. World Cup? My Netherlands won't win"
Former Netherlands defender Ruud Krol expresses doubts about his hometown team's chances at the upcoming World Cup and is optimistic about the future of Napoli FC.
Ruud Krol is looking forward to the start of the World Cup and expresses some concerns about the performance of certain national teams. In an interview with Stile TV, the former defender spoke in particular about his Netherlands. "I watched the first game of the World Cup. Mexico made a good impression, while I was disappointed by South Africa, which I know well. Two sendings off are certainly not the best way to start such a competition," explained Krol.
However, he doesn't see the Oranje as the main favorites for the title: "I don't think the Netherlands can win this World Cup. I've seen the last friendlies and they didn't convince me. The team makes too many defensive mistakes and has difficulty scoring goals. To get to the end you need great organization and automatism, especially in defense, and I don't see that at the moment. There's also a lack of creativity. Depay is the only one who can create something, but he's not in top form."

Krol sees other teams as favorites: "France and Spain are the teams that I see as the strongest for the title. But Brazil could also be a big surprise."
Finally, he turned to Napoli, a city with which he has strong ties: "I travel there at least three times a year. I have a lot of friends there and I always follow the team. I'm excited to see who the coach will be and what decisions will be made regarding the squad. I hope to see an always competitive Napoli."

However, he doesn't see the Oranje as the main favorites for the title: "I don't think the Netherlands can win this World Cup. I've seen the last friendlies and they didn't convince me. The team makes too many defensive mistakes and has difficulty scoring goals. To get to the end you need great organization and automatism, especially in defense, and I don't see that at the moment. There's also a lack of creativity. Depay is the only one who can create something, but he's not in top form."
Krol sees other teams as favorites: "France and Spain are the teams that I see as the strongest for the title. But Brazil could also be a big surprise."
Finally, he turned to Napoli, a city with which he has strong ties: "I travel there at least three times a year. I have a lot of friends there and I always follow the team. I'm excited to see who the coach will be and what decisions will be made regarding the squad. I hope to see an always competitive Napoli."

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