Ian Maatsen received his last-minute Euro 2024 call-up for the Netherlands while vacationing on a yacht off the coast of the Greek island of Mykonos on Monday night.
The Chelsea full-back, who spent last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund, wasted no time and was present at training on Tuesday afternoon as the Dutchman prepared for his first cap.
The team arrived at their base in Wolfsburg after beating Iceland 4-0 in their final warm-up friendly in Rotterdam on Monday.
Thanks to his father traveling from Holland to Germany to bring his football boots, Maatsen was able to shake off the Christmas cobwebs and start dreaming of winning his first international cap and participating in a major tournament.
“At first, Ian wanted to come to Holland first, but we didn't think it was a good idea,” said his father Edward Maatsen, who first drove three hours from his home in Vlaardingen to Dortmund.
There they packed their boots and some other personal belongings and set off for another three hours towards Wolfsburg.
It's a journey the Maatsen family knows well: traveling regularly to watch their son in the Bundesliga.
“We know that as a family member, you're always involved,” he told reporters Tuesday.
“This European Championship is the icing on the cake. As a father, you are very proud and you do everything you can to stay the course and make everything around you as stable as possible.”
Maatsen was invited into the squad after injury ruled out both Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners.
His initial omission from the team raised eyebrows when the Dutchman helped Dortmund reach the Champions League final, where they lost to Real Madrid.
The Netherlands begin their Euro 2024 campaign in Hamburg on Sunday against Poland.
