VAN BASTEN TO QUIT AS HOLLAND MANAGER
Marco Van Basten has announced that he will step down as head coach of Holland after Euro 2008 in July.
The three-time European Player of the Year and Fifa World Player of the Year has recently been linked with vacancies at Chelsea and England, as well as at his first club Ajax. This announcement, made after a meeting with the Dutch Football Association, will only re-ignite those rumours.
The 43-year-old, who began his rein as Dutch coach with only limited management experience (a year with Ajax's B team) in July 2004, after Euro 2004, was initially a popular choice.
Van Basten led Holland to an unbeaten run in the qualifiers for World Cup 2006. However his popularity began to wane when he deemed talents such as Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf too old, and others, such as Ruud van Nistelrooy and Mark van Bommel, too disruptive.
At Germany 2006 his team were knocked out by Portugal in the last 16 in a bad-tempered affair. The game ended 1-0, with Maniche's goal separating the sides, but both teams finished the game with only nine players - a record.
In September the former AC Milan striker started tongues wagging by sitting next to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich at Old Trafford, only two days after Jose Mourninho had left the club.
The English FA are still in the hunt for a replacement for Steve McClaren who was sacked after he failed to steer England to Euro 2008. Mourinho is believed to be the people's choice, though Van Basten may have put his hat in the ring.
His assistant John van't Schip will also relinquish his position after Euro 2008.
Marco Van Basten has announced that he will step down as head coach of Holland after Euro 2008 in July.
The three-time European Player of the Year and Fifa World Player of the Year has recently been linked with vacancies at Chelsea and England, as well as at his first club Ajax. This announcement, made after a meeting with the Dutch Football Association, will only re-ignite those rumours.
The 43-year-old, who began his rein as Dutch coach with only limited management experience (a year with Ajax's B team) in July 2004, after Euro 2004, was initially a popular choice.
Van Basten led Holland to an unbeaten run in the qualifiers for World Cup 2006. However his popularity began to wane when he deemed talents such as Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf too old, and others, such as Ruud van Nistelrooy and Mark van Bommel, too disruptive.
At Germany 2006 his team were knocked out by Portugal in the last 16 in a bad-tempered affair. The game ended 1-0, with Maniche's goal separating the sides, but both teams finished the game with only nine players - a record.
In September the former AC Milan striker started tongues wagging by sitting next to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich at Old Trafford, only two days after Jose Mourninho had left the club.
The English FA are still in the hunt for a replacement for Steve McClaren who was sacked after he failed to steer England to Euro 2008. Mourinho is believed to be the people's choice, though Van Basten may have put his hat in the ring.
His assistant John van't Schip will also relinquish his position after Euro 2008.
Labels: Chelsea, Euro 2008, football, Holland, Marco Van Basten
