Victoria Pelova shines at Tottenham despite losing her mother

Victoria Pelova is in top form: in five competitive matches the 27‑year‑old midfielder has already scored five goals for her new club Tottenham Hotspur, and she is now preparing for two crucial World Cup qualifying duels with the Dutch national team.

A year of loss and a new start

In May Pelova lost her mother, an event that cast a shadow over her year. “I am happy, but I can never be as happy as before,” she says openly. The KNVB‑campus in Zeist provides the quiet setting where she shares her story.

“Not everyone around me knew that she was so ill; she wanted to keep that private. But then about 150 people came to the cremation. The Dutch national team, my teammates at Arsenal, Sarina Wiegman, they came from all over the world. All for my mother and for me,” says Pelova.

Transfer to Tottenham and the coach’s confidence

The move from Arsenal to Tottenham was delicate, because both clubs are based in London. “At first I found it difficult to go from Arsenal to Tottenham, but my mother absolutely wanted me to sign there,” she explains. “But she said I had to not give a toss about it.”

At the end of May she boarded the plane to put her signature. “The doctors said I could go, but then she still passed away. It is very beautiful that I chose Tottenham, she wanted that, but also doubly because she didn’t experience it. It has something beautiful and something sad.” The confidence of coach Martin Ho has helped her: “That also comes from the coach, who gives me a lot of confidence.”

Impact with the Dutch national team and personal reflections

A few days after the transfer Pelova joined the Dutch national team for the World Cup qualifying matches against Ireland and Poland. “Maybe people thought that was strange, but I needed rhythm and just wanted to be with them.” In the match against Ireland she scored: “That was bizarre. Everything was bizarre.”

She regularly talks about her loss with Lineth Beerensteyn, who also lost her mother four years ago. “She believes that our mothers can see us now… I don’t know if I believe that, but I find it very nice to talk about it. It connects us in a special way.”

Now, four months later, she reports again to the Dutch national team for the play‑off matches against Hungary. “It may sound strange, but I feel completely free now. I have nothing to lose.”

Pelova concludes: “That is a snapshot, I don’t look at it that way. Sometimes I do think: why didn’t I do that last year, when my mother was still here? I’m really happy with it, but it’s also sad. I wish she could have seen it. But maybe she does.”