December 20 – Marco’s a Winner
WITH Shecond-Choishe Shteve having ensured England did not participate in Euro 2008, here at OTFD we found ourselves rooting for the boys in Orange. No, not the stadium stewards but the Dutch. They started well with 3-0 and 4-1 wins over Italy and France but ultimately exited the tournament at the quarter-final stage when they lost to Russia managed by Dutchman Guus Hiddink.
Still, no doubt their fans enjoyed the ride while it lasted. No terminally-boring-yet-scraping-through-thanks-to-a-75th-minute-Beckham-free-kick for the them; they played with an attacking freedom that caught World Champions Italy completely off guard, but then, that is typical of the Dutch national team.
In world football, the Netherlands have been punching well above their weight for decades. With a population of less than a third of that of England, the Dutch have invented total football, won Euro 88, reached two consecutive World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978, and their club sides have won the European Cup six times (only Italy Spain and England have provided more winners). All this despite the fact they were late starters, only forming a national league and embracing professionalism in the 1950s.
The country has also produced some of the best footballers in the world, with Dutch players having won the Ballon d’Or seven times – a joint record with Germany. It is one of those top players we are celebrating today as it was on this day in 1992 that Marco van Basten picked up the coveted award for the third time in five years. The feat equalled that of Dutch legend Johan Cruijff and Frenchman Michel Platini.
Hailing from Utrecht it didn’t take long for the academy of football AFC Ajax to snap him up and he quickly became a living legend and was the Dutch top scorer in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987. After winning the Dutch League and Cup each three times, plus the European Cup Winners Cup, Marco’s eye began to wander and in those days there was only one destination of choice for the world’s best players: Italy.
Silvio Burlesconi brought him to AC Milan in 1987 where he linked up with fellow Dutchmen Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard who joined the following year. In his first season Milan won their first scudetto in eight years and he followed this up by being top-scorer at Euro 1988 as Holland won the tournament. 1988 was also the year he was first named European Footballer of the Year, and he retained the title in 1989.
While at Milan he won enough trophies to sink a low-lying country including three league titles, two European Cups and the Italian Super Cup three times. In 1992 when he picked up his third and final Ballon d’Or he was also named World Footballer of the Year.
Eventually injury forced him to retire from playing in 1995 but by then he had won literally everything possible apart from the World Cup. He then turned his attention to management which he is finding a tad more difficult than playing.
But to paraphrase the Bee Gees, these are only words, and words are all we have, so have a look at the clip below to appreciate van Basten’s genius on the ball.
We’ll be back tomorrow but have a look here to read about some classic managerial blundering from our favourite man named Bryan who was once a great player but then turned into a crap manager.
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