Victoria Pelova, the 27-year-old Netherlands midfielder, has spoken openly to NOS about losing her mother in May, just as she was completing her move from Arsenal to Tottenham Hotspur. She is now in the best form of her career and has rejoined the Dutch women’s national team, Oranje, for two crucial World Cup play-off matches against Hungary.
What happened
NOS Voetbal reporters Susanne Morren and Rivkah op het Veld interviewed Pelova at the KNVB Campus in Zeist, the training base of the Dutch football association. Beside one of the training pitches, she spoke at length about the past few months.
Pelova has started the season strongly. NOS reports that she has scored five goals in five league matches for her new club, Tottenham Hotspur. The strong start comes after what she described as a year full of grief. Her mother died in May. “I am happy, but I can never be as happy as I was before,” Pelova told NOS.
The move from Arsenal to Tottenham was a sensitive one because both clubs are based in London and are local rivals. Pelova said she found the decision difficult at first, but that her mother was determined she should sign for Tottenham. “She told me I shouldn’t care about that at all,” Pelova said. At the end of May she flew to London to sign her contract. “The doctors said I could go, but then she passed away anyway,” she told NOS. “It is lovely that I chose Tottenham, because that is what she wanted, but it is also bittersweet because she didn’t get to see it.”
Pelova explained that not everyone around her knew how ill her mother was, because her mother wanted to keep it private. Even so, around 150 people attended the cremation, including members of the Dutch national team, her Arsenal teammates and Sarina Wiegman. “They came from all over the world, all for my mother and for me,” she said. “It sounds strange, but it was also a very beautiful day.”
A few days later, Pelova joined up with the national team for World Cup qualifiers against Ireland and Poland. “Maybe people found that strange, but I needed rhythm and I simply wanted to be with them,” she said. She scored against Ireland. “That was bizarre. Everything was bizarre.”
She told NOS she talks regularly about her loss with teammate Lineth Beerensteyn, who lost her mother four years ago. Beerensteyn believes their mothers can see them now and are sharing a glass of wine together. Pelova said she is not sure she believes that herself, but she finds it very helpful to talk about it and says it creates a special bond.
On the pitch, much has changed. According to NOS, Pelova had been increasingly pushed to the margins at Arsenal. “I don’t think people realise that when something is going on in your private life, it also puts you under a lot of stress without you noticing,” she said. Tottenham, who NOS reports are fourth in the English league, gave her a clean slate, and she has quickly become an important player there.
She credits her coach at Tottenham, Martin Ho, for much of that. “He gives me a lot of confidence. That is also why my mother wanted me to choose Tottenham. She followed everything and thought he was a very good coach.” NOS notes that, so far this season, Pelova has scored more goals on her own than the whole Arsenal team combined. She plays this down as a snapshot in time. “Sometimes I do think: why didn’t I do this last year, when my mother was still here? I am really happy with it, but it is also sad. If only she could have seen it. But maybe she does.”
Why it matters if you live in Netherlands
If you follow Dutch football, Pelova’s form matters directly for Oranje. NOS describes the coming matches against Hungary as crucial World Cup play-offs, and the Netherlands has an attacking midfielder heading into them in excellent scoring form.
The interview also gives newcomers some context on the women’s national team, which has a strong following in the Netherlands. Several names in the story are well known here. Lineth Beerensteyn is a long-serving Oranje forward, and Sarina Wiegman, who attended the cremation, is one of the most recognised figures in Dutch football. The KNVB Campus in Zeist, where the team trains before international matches, is the national team’s base.
Pelova also touched on something many internationals will recognise: moving jobs and stepping outside your comfort zone while dealing with difficult personal circumstances. She said the transfer forced her to do exactly that, which turned out to be good for her, while she was still able to keep living in the same place. “It may sound strange, but I feel very free now. I have nothing to lose,” she told NOS.
What to watch next
Four months after the qualifiers against Ireland and Poland, Pelova has reported back to Oranje for the play-off matches against Hungary. The NOS article does not give dates, venues or broadcast details for the matches, so check NOS and the KNVB for the official schedule and coverage.
Beyond the international break, the main question is whether Pelova can keep up her scoring rate at Tottenham, who are near the top of the English table, and whether that form carries over into the national team at a decisive point in the World Cup campaign.
Source: NOS Voetbal
Sources
- NOS Voetbal: Pelova open over verlies moeder: 'Ik ben gelukkig, maar nooit meer zo als hiervoor', accessed 9 October 2026
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