Oranje star Wesley Sneijder says farewell to Dutch football squad

Wesley Sneijder is saying goodbye to international football, he announced on Sunday. The decision was made in consultation with new coach Ronald Koeman. He hopes to play one last match for the Dutch national team. "It is my wish - and that is known by the KNVB - to say goodbye to my fellow internationals and the Oranje fans in a beautiful way", Sneijder said to the Telegraaf on Monday.

Sneijder hopes to make his farewell in the same way as Lukas Podolski, his former teammate at Galatasaray. "In a friendly international match against England, he waved off as a 130-fold international with Germany. That he also scored the winning 1-0, made the party complete. It was a beautiful and well-deserved farewell. I hope that the KNVB will give me the same after the silver World Cup of 2010 and the bronze World Cup of 2014."

The 33-year-old midfielder has 133 matches to his name. He told Koeman that he can be called upon in emergencies, but a definite comeback is out of the question. Sneijder now wants to work as a trainer and hopes to qualify for a shortened course.