Euro 2008 Holland Team Guide
Welcome to the euro2008betting.com Holland Team Guide for Euro 2008. Here we preview the chances of Holland for Euro 2008 plus take a look back at their Euro 2008 qualifiying performance and previous appearances at the European Championships.
Coach: Marco van Basten
Marco van Basten is the current Dutch national team coach but it was as a player that he made his name before
recently moving into management. Van Basten played for Ajax Amsterdam and A.C. Milan alongside Gullit and Rijkaard
in the 1980s and early 1990s and he is regarded as one of the finest strikers of all time scoring 277 goals in a
career cut short by injury. Known for his strength on the ball, his tactical awareness and spectacular strikes
and volleys, Van Basten was named European Footballer of the Year three times (1988, '89 and '92) and FIFA World
Player of the Year in 1992.
Euro 2008 Qualifying:
Holland rarely looked in trouble in Group G and qualified with a game to spare. Romania proved to be the Hollands' most serious rivals, holding them to a 0-0 draw in Rotterdam and then progressing to the finals with a 1-0 win against Marco van Basten's side in challenging conditions in Constanta. Qualification was assured with a 1-0 home win against Luxembourg. The minnows withstood a Dutch onslaught but went down to a solitary Danny Koevermans goal. They finished second in the section after an unexpected 2-1 defeat in Belarus in their final qualifier. Besides qualification for Austria and Switzerland, another major positive from the Dutch campaign was the opportunity given the stars of their 2006 and 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship winning squads to impress at senior level.
Past Euro Performance:
Holland won the competition in 1988, their only appearance in the final to date. They defeated the Soviet Union 2-0 at Munich’s Olympiastadion on 25 June 1988 thanks to goals from Ruud Gullit (32 minutes) and current coach Marco van Basten (54) scoring a wonderful volley. The Dutch have also appeared in four additional semi-finals (2004, 2000, 1992 and 1976) and one additional quarter-final (1996).
Partner's: The Virtual Library of Sport | Free Bets | Scores Pro | Euro 2008 Live | Soccer Punter | Live Score
