Matthijs de Ligt accepted responsibility for the Netherlands Euro 2020 exit after he was sent off in the 2-0 last-16 defeat to the Czech Republic.
The Juventus defender was dismissed 10 minutes into the second half after a VAR review for a deliberate handball that denied Patrik Schick a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Goals from Tomas Holes and Schick, his fourth of the tournament, secured a memorable win for Jaroslav Silhavy s side as they secured a quarter-final clash with Denmark in Baku.
The Netherlands were far from the free-flowing side that eased through the group phase, Frank de Boer s men becoming the first Dutch side since at least 1980 to go through a Euros or World Cup game without managing a shot on target.
Yet De Ligt felt his error when judging a bouncing ball, and the handball that followed, was the main reason for their defeat.
Of course, it feels bad. We basically lost the match because of what I did. In hindsight, I shouldn t have let the ball bounce, he told NOS.
Ultimately, that moment changed the game. I saw how the team fought in the final minutes and I m very proud of that, but I do feel responsible.
We had some chances in the first half. No shots on target, but chances. I didn t really feel like they were much better.
Of course, this hits hard. Playing in a tournament is always a golden opportunity. If you re then knocked out like that, it s even more painful.
Midfielder Frenkie de Jong was surprised at his side s insipid display, particularly after their exploits over the first three matchdays.
It was almost as if we were tired, although I have no idea why, said the Barcelona man. We really wanted to win it. For some of the boys, this was the biggest game of their careers so far.
It s not that we weren t prepared tactically. We were focused, and we certainly didn t underestimate them. We just couldn t get our game going. Sometimes you have days like that.
