Sherida Spitz has announced that she has been left out of the Netherlands women’s football team participating in the Tokyo Olympics due to a knee injury she sustained during training on Monday, dealing a painful blow to her country’s hopes of achieving Olympic gold.
“My great dream has suddenly evaporated, words cannot express the bitterness that I feel now,” Spitz told Dutch media today, Tuesday, after she ruptured her ligaments after a challenge during training.
She added, “I always did my best in the tackles during training, but this time I had bad luck. It’s a big setback for me and the team.”
Dutch coach Sarina Wegmann expressed her sympathy for Spetse, and said, during a press conference on Tuesday: “Football has been the focus of her whole life and she has been striving to shine in these games. It is painful for her and a painful blow to the team.
Wolfsburg’s Joel Smits will replace Spitz in the tournament, in which the Netherlands begins its campaign against Zambia on Wednesday.