World Cup 2022: The incredible story of goalkeeper Andries Knoppert – From… nowhere, “savior” of the Netherlands

In the third match of the World Cup in Qatar, the one between Senegal and the Netherlands (0-2), there was an absolute “rookie”.

The reason for the 28-year-old goalkeeper of the “Oranie” Andries Noppert, who, watching the world from 203 cm, is the tallest player of the competition.

Knoppert’s football story really looks like a fairy tale, as until now he had never played for the National team and he is doing it for the first time in a World Cup, while only a year ago he was on the bench of the Go Ahead Eagles, certainly not the top team in the Dutch Eredivisie.

And not only that, because previously (from January 2018 to June 30, 2019) he had passed through Foggia, where in the Italian Serie B he had gathered, under the instructions of Stropa and then Pantalino, just 8 appearances in a year and a half!

Knoppert’s “carefree” life

In Apulia, therefore, he only made headlines for a “blunder” against Verona and for his “carefree” life off the pitch, as well as for some statements about the city’s underworld, which forced him to pay a “ransom” to get back his car, which had been stolen from him.

The turning point for him came with his move to Heerenveen, where he became a regular fixture, to the point of convincing national team manager Louis van Gaal, struggling with a goalkeeping problem, to call him up for the World Cup, to the surprise of Dutch fans until the ultimate debut against Senegal.

And in fact, Noppert was the absolute protagonist of the Netherlands, as with his saves he helped his team achieve its first victory in the World Cup in Qatar.

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