Netherlands

It has been a stormy few years for the Oranje of late. About a decade ago, if one had said the Netherlands would fail to qualify for the 2016 European Championships and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, it would have met with laughter. However, things have not gone according to plan for the Dutch squad in the past few years. This is the same nation, which in 2010 pushed perhaps the greatest Spanish team ever to the limit in a World Cup final. Subsequently, they had a good run to the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup and concluded the tournament in third place, beating hosts Brazil in the playoff. Little did they know that their place among the world’s top footballing countries would soon be shaken to the core. A generation of old players reaching the ends of their careers, beside the organizational instability of the footballing federation, all led to disastrous consequences. Their failure to qualify for the Euros in 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Russia came as major shocks. As a result of the revamp, the Netherlands started to sort their issues. They made it to the final of the maiden UEFA Nations League, narrowly losing out to Portugal. Ronald Koeman’s solid run-in charge of his country was halted as he rushed to answer Barcelona’s call to take over a broken squad. Frank De Boer replaced him shortly after and has now managed to seal the Netherlands’ place in the group stages of the Euros after a lengthy absence from the world’s premier international competitions. The Oranje find themselves in Group C, alongside Austria, Ukraine and tournament debutants North Macedonia. On paper, the Netherlands can boast of having the best squad in terms of quality, with big names like Frankie De Jong (FC Barcelona) and Matthijs de Ligt(Juventus), featuring alongside the attacking talents of Memphis Depay(Lyon), Quincy Promes(Spartak Moscow). The Netherlands national football team has appeared in nine UEFA European Football Championship tournaments. It first participated in 1976 and won the title in 1988. With Belgium, the Netherlands co-hosted the 2000 European tournament. The team failed to qualify for the first European tournament in 1960 and did not qualify in 1964, 1968, 1972, 1984 or 2016. The story of the 1988 European Championship is one tinged in vibrant orange, with that Marco van Basten’s audacious volley at its centerpiece. The AC Milan striker’s goal from the narrowest of angles helped earn the Netherlands a 2-0 victory over USSR in the Munich final and the country’s first major title. The loss of Virgil van Dijk forced Frank de Boer to slot in utility man Daley Blind next to Matthijs de Ligt and results have been mixed. Frenkie de Jong is still 24, yet he is the Dutch’s engine in midfield. His ability to play through pressure, defensive acumen and tendency to progress the ball will be key. Ryan Gravenberch could be a game-changer if he sees minutes. The 19-year-old was a revelation for Ajax this season as a box-to-box midfielder, especially when dribbling forward and combining in the attack. Ligue 1 club Lyon’s striker Memphis will play a key role in Netherlands’ success in Euro 2020. In 2021 he has played 37 matches in which he scored 20 goals for Lyon. He has played 10 games for the Netherlands in which he managed three goals.
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It has been a stormy few years for the Oranje of late. About a decade ago, if one had said the Netherlands would fail to qualify for the 2016 European Championships and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, it would have met with laughter. However, things have not gone according to plan for the Dutch squad in the past few years. This is the same nation, which in 2010 pushed perhaps the greatest Spanish team ever to the limit in a World Cup final. Subsequently, they had a good run to the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup and concluded the tournament in third place, beating hosts Brazil in the playoff. Little did they know that their place among the world’s top footballing countries would soon be shaken to the core.

A generation of old players reaching the ends of their careers, beside the organizational instability of the footballing federation, all led to disastrous consequences. Their failure to qualify for the Euros in 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Russia came as major shocks. As a result of the revamp, the Netherlands started to sort their issues. They made it to the final of the maiden UEFA Nations League, narrowly losing out to Portugal. Ronald Koeman’s solid run-in charge of his country was halted as he rushed to answer Barcelona’s call to take over a broken squad. Frank De Boer replaced him shortly after and has now managed to seal the Netherlands’ place in the group stages of the Euros after a lengthy absence from the world’s premier international competitions.

The Oranje find themselves in Group C, alongside Austria, Ukraine and tournament debutants North Macedonia. On paper, the Netherlands can boast of having the best squad in terms of quality, with big names like Frankie De Jong (FC Barcelona) and Matthijs de Ligt(Juventus), featuring alongside the attacking talents of Memphis Depay(Lyon), Quincy Promes(Spartak Moscow).

The Netherlands national football team has appeared in nine UEFA European Football Championship tournaments. It first participated in 1976 and won the title in 1988. With Belgium, the Netherlands co-hosted the 2000 European tournament. The team failed to qualify for the first European tournament in 1960 and did not qualify in 1964, 1968, 1972, 1984 or 2016.

The story of the 1988 European Championship is one tinged in vibrant orange, with that Marco van Basten’s audacious volley at its centerpiece. The AC Milan striker’s goal from the narrowest of angles helped earn the Netherlands a 2-0 victory over USSR in the Munich final and the country’s first major title.

The loss of Virgil van Dijk forced Frank de Boer to slot in utility man Daley Blind next to Matthijs de Ligt and results have been mixed. Frenkie de Jong is still 24, yet he is the Dutch’s engine in midfield. His ability to play through pressure, defensive acumen and tendency to progress the ball will be key. Ryan Gravenberch could be a game-changer if he sees minutes.

The 19-year-old was a revelation for Ajax this season as a box-to-box midfielder, especially when dribbling forward and combining in the attack. Ligue 1 club Lyon’s striker Memphis will play a key role in Netherlands’ success in Euro 2020. In 2021 he has played 37 matches in which he scored 20 goals for Lyon. He has played 10 games for the Netherlands in which he managed three goals.

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