Euro 2020: France players yet to be vaccinated

All staff members of the French national team have been vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of Euro 2020, although the federation had made no plan to protect the players, coach Didier Deschamps said on Wednesday.

"The whole staff has been vaccinated but nothing has been organised for the players," Deschamps told a news conference as the squad gathered for the first time at France's national training camp in Clairefontaine.

"Getting vaccinated is a personal decision. Some players might have been vaccinated. We know that vaccination is the only way to fight against the virus."

Every adult in France is now eligible to receive a vaccination shot, with the under-50s needing to book next-day appointments until Monday.

From Tuesday, they will be able to book any available slot.

France have been drawn in Euro Group F with Germany, Hungary and Portugal.

They will play two warm-up games before their June 15 opener against Germany in Munich -- against Wales in Nice on June 2 and against Bulgaria on June 8 at the Stade de France.

Until then, the France staff will work on getting every player into the best physical shape at the end of a long club season.

"We are in the first part of the preparation. We need to put gas in the engine," said Deschamps.

"All the players are not at the same level of fitness and our job is to get all of them to the best possible condition."

Spurs striker Bergwijn is major casualty as Netherlands trim squad

Forward Steven Bergwijn was dropped on Wednesday as Netherlands coach Frank de Boer finalised his 26-man squad for next month’s European Championship, axing eight players from a preliminary squad named earlier this month.

A lack of playing time at Tottenham Hotspur for 23-year-old Bergwijn over the final months of the Premier League looked to have cost him the chance of making the selection as De Boer chose instead the uncapped Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven in his list of strikers.

“As a trainer-coach I don't find it difficult," said De Boer about leaving players out of the tournament.

"But on a personal level it is always difficult."

Veteran goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, who played in the 2010 World Cup final but only recently saw league action with Ajax Amsterdam after years as a reserve at Everton, was chosen as one of the three goalkeepers, ahead of Marco Bizot of AZ Alkmaar.

At 38, Stekelenberg will be one of the oldest squad members at the tournament

Anwar El Ghazi, Hans Hateboer, Rick Karsdorp, Jeremiah St Juste, Kenny Tete and Tonny Vilhena were the other players dropped after the Netherlands completed a mini camp on Wednesday.

De Boer said he had called each of those left out before Wednesday's announcement.

"You want to convey the bad news as gently as possible. I called those I left out, yes. They were very short conversations. They may want to shout out loud and hang up, hence the short conversations."

De Boer kept the 19-year-old Ajax Amsterdam defender Jurriem Timber, who made a strong impression in the second half of the Dutch league season but has yet to play for the national team.

Daley Blind, who suffered a serious ankle injury in March, was also included as he works his way back to full fitness.

The Dutch must do without captain Virgil van Dijk, who earlier this month said he would not try to return from injury at Euro 2020 but instead concentrate on being fit for the next Premier League season with Liverpool.

The squad will reassemble on Friday ahead of a week-long training camp in Portugal, where they will also play a friendly against Scotland on June 2. They will play a second warm-up international in Enschede against Georgia on June 6.

Their opening Euro 2020 Group C match is against Ukraine in Amsterdam on June 13.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Jasper Cillessen (Valencia), Tim Krul (Norwich City), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax Amsterdam)

Defenders: Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Daley Blind (Ajax Amsterdam), Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus), Stefan de Vrij (Inter Milan), Denzel Dumfries (PSV Eindhoven), Jurriem Timber (Ajax Amsterdam), Patrick van Aanholt (Crystal Palace), Joel Veltman (Brighton & Hove Albion), Owen Wijndal (AZ Alkmaar)

Midfielders: Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Ryan Gravenberch, Davy Klaassen (both Ajax Amsterdam), Teun Koopmeiners (AZ Alkmaar), Donny van de Beek (Manchester United), Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool)

Forwards: Steven Berghuis (Feyenoord), Luuk de Jong (Sevilla), Memphis Depay (Olympique Lyonnais), Cody Gakpo, Donyell Malen (both PSV Eindhoven), Quincy Promes (Spartak Moscow), Wout Weghorst (Wolfsburg).