Van Hanegem looks back at EC2004

I have been waiting for this insight into one of the biggest mysteries in Dutch football… The biggest being Leo Beenhakker’s abyssmal WC in 1990 with all the big guns (Van Basten, Schio, Gullit, Koeman, Wouters, Rijkaard, Vanenburg). In the run up to the EC2004 – after Van Gaal’s failure to qualify for 2002 – the KNVB had a big decision to make. They passed on Adriaanse, Van Marwijk, Stevens, Jol to pick Dick Advocaat again as Oranje team manager. Why? Because it was safe. Dick and the KNVB go back some time. So, Kesler opted for mediocrity. In an effort to stop the fans from revolting, they appointed the immensly popular Willem van Hanegem as Dick’s assistent. During the EC2004, the vibe wasn’t there… Dick didn’t do well. Made mistakes. Showed fear. The team didn’t perform. Robben was subbed at a crucial moment. Van der Vaart and Sneijder weren’t properly used. And Willem just allowed it to happen… Or did he? Here’s his story… (source www.ad.nl).

Right before the opening against Germany (1-1) Willem van Hanegem wanted to throw the towel. It happened in the trainings camp in Switzerland.
Willem got in conflict with Clarence Seedorf. Willem exepected a lot from Clarence, he regarded him a key-player. But, Seedorf lacked the discipline needed and put himself apart from the group. Willem: “Nobody is above the group, no player. No matter how good he is.”

“I think Clarence is an outstanding player and a fantastic guy. He intrigues me as a player. His presence made me decide to take the assistant job. I like those players. They see things other players don’t see. So I spent time with him and he told me Dick promised him the number 10 position in the team. I found that weird. How could our team manager give players guarantees of their position in the team before the training sessions? Rafael van der Vaart showed during the training and friendlies that he actually was the ideal number 10. That’s where line-ups are decided: on the park. Dick was playing politics-games with the players. You got to train, take your decisions and then play the game. That’s how it always was and how it always should be. It requires a tough approach and honesty, but top athletes like that anyway…”

“So, I told Clarence that it is nonsense to want to play only on one position. I also told him he should go home if he only wanted to play on that spot. If someone else is better in that position, you don’t have anything to hang around for. We had a group of top players and anyone with an attitude like Clarence’s should leave.”

“But Clarence stood his ground. He said Dick promised it to him when he met him in Italy. I couldn’t believe my ears. And Clarence said: trainer, you know they always use me on the right midfield position? It doesn’t work. I never did well in Oranje on that spot. Clarence hated it that he had to play there and then cop the criticism afterwards. I understood that. I had great discussions with him about it. It wasn’t just the fans, but also the media. And they would judge his personality and lifestyle and his world beliefs and what have you. I could relate to that. I never judge a player on anything else but his performance as a player. Who am I to think I can judge a book by the cover, right?”

“But Clarence kept on debating me on this point. And one stage I had it. I said: if you feel you’re the best: prove it! On the trainings pitch. You can’t claim a spot with words, you gotta show it. He refused to do that. And I felt that attitude needed to be corrected.”

Van Hanegem is upset and discussed this item with the technical staff in the hotel, later on. How can a talented player like Seedorf be such a whiner?
In his playing days, Willem was the number 10 (at Feyenoord and Oranje) and anyone who thought he deserved that spot could take Willem on. But not in words, with the ball during training sessions. Willem never lost his spot.

“When I explained the situation to Dick Advocaat – a man I though I knew well because we played together in the US – he ignored me and the item. He also refused to explain what happened in the meeting in Italy. That’s when I started to doubt the whole situation.”

“Dick didn’t want to discuss it and didn’t want to discipline Seedorf. So, there is a top player sulking while you’re about to start an EC campaign. The group needs to be one at that time, but this would hurt the group cohesion and our credibility. I though it was really depressing. But Dick was afraid to confront Seedorf and he was afraid for the media reaction.”

“To me, that was the clincher. I don’t mind if someone has a different opinion. But with Dick, he just didn’t take me serious. And I don’t pretend to be more than I am, but then why take me along to the EC if you don’t want my insights? Did he just take me along to keep the fans and media happy?”

Tragically for Willem, the answer was yes… “I felt used. I was taken along as some sort of mascot. Or as the team jester. That was quite an upset. I am a serious trainer/coach. I do know some people doubt that, but I know that for myself. So, I want to be taken seriously. Dick didn’t, so why should I stay on?”

But Willem stayed on. “I spent quite some time thinking about it, all by myself and decided to stay. My leaving would have made it harder for the group, because the media would make a meal out of it. And to be honest, I highly enjoyed working with these guys. And I believed in their chances. And I had a great relationship with most of the chaps. I spent a lot of time talking to the likes of Van Nistelrooy, Bosvelt, Makaay, Van Hooydonk… Great guys…”

Advocaat allowed me to manage two training session, of which one was behind closed doors. He had me manage a match between young and old. Was pretty funny too, but other than that…nothing. Unbelievable if you think about it. Once, as a little kid, I asked Advocaat, Dick, can I please do a training session tomorrow? I really felt there was more frivolity and aggressiveness in the group and I wanted to find that. But Dick would say: well, Bert (van Lingen) prepared the session last night, so why don’t you let him do it… Right…”

And so, something strange happened. Willem compromised his character and his reputation. The Dutch fans expected Willem to be able to give the team something extra. They knew that if Willem couldn’t deliver, he’d walk away. But Willem stayed on because he highly enjoyed working with the players and became partly guilty for the dreadful performance of Oranje on the EC. Willem was totally invisible. He was part of a trenches war where his presence was only a pr-stunt. And instead of straightening his back and saying: I’m not going to stand for this, he decided to stay on.

And he was even drawn in deeper. Right before Oranje – Lituania he was drawn into a discussion with ex-team mate Johan Cruyff, live on telly. Cruyff attacked the team tactics of Oranje. Van Hanegem had only one option as Dick Advocaat’s assistant: he defended his boss. Which for the first time in 35 years resulted in Cruyff and Van Hanegem not seeing eye to eye…

Willem still doesn’t understand. “I expected his support, but received nothing. I like Dick, don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against him. And he doesn’t need to fear me, I am not a threat. And look at his career. Look at what he did in St Petersburg. But he didn’t handle me correctly.
I now think he took me along because he needed to someone to work the public opinion. I think that’s ridiculous. Apparently Dick didn’t trust his own capabilities. Apparently, he was afraid, it’s the only interpretation I can give….”