The crux of the issue is the rejection by the goalkeeper playing for Norwich City in EFL and the Netherlands national squad for a short training session for penalty practicing. It is a standard procedure for any goalie, but some were notoriously against such practices. For example, Peter Schmeichel and Van Der Sar, both outstanding goalkeepers, did not like practicing for penalties.
Tim Krul is not in the same boat as legendary players
Tim Krul is a great goalie with an impressive track record. He has been playing for the national team since 2002 and represented it as a member of the U17 team and even earlier. In many of his appearances for the national team, he managed to keep a clean sheet and was especially great in his match against Brazil in 2011 and Turkey in 2012.
After moving to Norwich City to play for the EFL team, Krul seemed to be less interested in playing for the national squad considering that he did not have the starting eleven for a long time. However, he was summoned each time the country needed him. This time, the training session went wrong on any level. Allegedly, Tim Krul decided to skip the penalty training session and was called out for it. When he refused to participate again, he was told that he will never represent his country again.
The reaction of the footballer is unknown and the national squad did not publish any official response. If this whole debacle is true, the situation is quite comical and reeks of cosmic irony.
The savior of the Netherlands in 2014
During the match against Costa Rica in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the game was drawn out and reached the penalty shootout stage where Tim Krul was brought as a substitute to defend the net. It was the first case in the history of the World Cup that a goalie that did not play the game was sent to be a penalty keeper. Nevertheless, he was more than successful by saving 2 shots and ultimately allowing the team to win 4-3 which was a decisive moment that allowed the team to reach the semi-final.
