Frimpong's anthem silence sparks curiosity among Dutch fans
Dutch fans are not hiding their surprise. One of the stars of their national team does not sing the national anthem. This became apparent during the match against France in the European Championship in Germany. The player in question is Jeremie Frimpong, a footballer born in Amsterdam with African roots.
The Dutch team will play their third match in the European Championship in Germany on Tuesday. Ronald Koeman's team will face Austria.
The "Oranje" wants to win and stay in contention later in the tournament. They even have a chance of finishing first in their group. Dutch fans, just as much as the gameplay and results, are intrigued by the situation of one of their national team members.
Jeremie Frimpong had an excellent season with Bayer Leverkusen, ending with a German championship. In the European tournament, the defender played around 80 minutes. However, fans noticed that the defender did not sing the national anthem.
Frimpong doesn't know Dutch
It turns out that Frimpong has not mastered the native language despite being born in Amsterdam. "It was English that was spoken in the house when I was growing up," the Bayer Leverkusen player quotes in "Sportbible."
"I'm still working on my Dutch. I know how to speak it a little. If I do play for the national team, I will try to learn it," assures Jeremie Frimpong.
He revealed that he is often taught by his sister, who has mastered the Dutch language. According to Dutch media, the defender "understands the language of football and therefore knows what the coach wants to convey to him". It is worth noting that the Dutch team has many players who play in European clubs daily, and therefore it can be assumed that each of them communicates in English.
Frimpong himself has Ghanaian roots. When he was 7, he moved to Manchester, England, with his mother and siblings. While living there, he joined Manchester City's academy, from where he moved to Scottish Celtic Glasgow. "Sportbible" reports that he could have represented England or Ghana but chose the Netherlands.
