It’s over and done with. No more transfers till the Winter window.

Ajax found itself in a little dilemma when two sub top clubs from Europe dangled a carrot of the value of 40 Mio euros in Van Basten’s face: Klaas Jan Huntelaar being the sacrifice for that. But, Ajax said, they weren’t of the calibre of Real Madrid or Man United. So, KJH and Ajax said: NO!

Here’s an overview of this summer’s trade-show: (with the first club being the “old” club and the second one being the “new”)

Nicky Hofs *
Feyenoord
Vitesse
Simon Cziommer *
AZ
FC Utrecht
Rob van Dijk
Heerenveen
Feyenoord
Tommie van der Leegte
PSV
NAC
Ryan Donk *
AZ
West Bromwich Albion (Eng)
Collins John *
Fulham (Eng)
NEC
Mika Väyrynen
PSV
Heerenveen
Eyong Enoh
Ajax CapeTown (Zuid-Afrika)
Ajax
Nicolae Mitea
Ajax
Dinamo Boekarest (Roe)
Albert Luque
Ajax
Málaga (Spa)
George Ogararu *
Ajax
Steaua Boekarest (Roe)
Michael Bradley
Heerenveen
Borussia Mönchengladbach (Dui)

FOREIGN COMPETITIONS
Louis Saha
Manchester United (Eng)
Everton (Eng)
Robinho
Real Madrid (Spa)
Manchester City (Eng)
Andrei Voronin *
Liverpool (Eng)
Hertha BSC (Dui)
Nacho González *
Valencia (Spa)
Newcastle United (Eng)
Thiago Neves
Fluminense (Bra)
HSV (Dui)
Ricardo Quaresma
Porto (Por)
Inter Milaan (Ita)
Steve Finnan
Liverpool (Eng)
Espanyol (Spa)
Albert Riera
Espanyol (Spa)
Liverpool (Eng)

EC1988 winner Adrie van Tiggelen is assistant coach at Sparta and is a happy trooper. “Head coach Foeke Booy allows me to do the training often. He just observes, while I do the work. I keep track of progress and discuss the program with him. When Aandewiel was coach, the board asked me to become assistant but I refused. I didn’t click with Aandewiel, and that was my main reason to say no. But with Booy, it works out just fine.”

Adrie is born and raised in Oud Beijerland, one of the islands of the Zuid Holland province, close to Rotterdam. “I played in the first team of OSV Oud Beijerland when i was 15 years old. I was a fast right winger. I played on all positions in the team and even played one game as goalie.” Sparta scouts Tiggel when he’s 20 years old. Why did it take so long? Van Tiggelen: “That’s a funny story. My cousin Adriaan van Tiggelen also played in the first team. He was a big boy, a center striker. Slow and not too skilled technically. When scouts came to our games, they’d ask which player was A. van Tiggelen and depending on who they asked, they’d either point at me or my cousin. That’s why Sparta and other clubs had lots of puzzling and conflicting scouting reports on me. Some would say I was slow and the next week a report came in saying I was very fast. Sparta decided to ignore those reports. It took years before they realized what the situation was….”

Van Tiggelen was given a spot in Sparta 1 in his first year. The jump from Oud Beijerland to Eredivisie club Sparta wasn’t that big for Van Tiggelen. “Meutstege was the preferred left back but he suddenly left the club. I played one friendly and everyone was happy, so I had my spot. I scored in my first competition game and that was it. I never lost my spot.”

Van Tiggelen demonstrates his speed, ruthlessness and concentration for Sparta for 5 seasons. He plays at all positions in the back and played with the likes of Louis van Gaal, Dick Advocaat, Wim Suurbier, Edwin Olde Riekerink and Gerard van der Lem. Adrie had a special relationship with Van Gaal. “Louis was a great guy. He was a real captain. Organized all sorts of stuff. Fun stuff with the group and wives or contractual issues with the board. And if you’d work extra hard for him on the pitch, you’d have a friend for life. Louis did have his clashes with Rene van der Gijp whenever he did something stupid, but he always had to laugh about it. When I see him nowadays on the telly, I sometimes think: come on, man, act normal…”

Van Tiggelen received several offers and decided to move to FC Groningen. In that period, Van Tiggelen is invited for Oranje for the first time, for a match against Belgium. He is 26 years old already, but would still play 56 international games. Groningen coach Han Berger would give Adrie his nickname, the Nail. Not only because of his tough play, but also because of his lean and mean posture. In 1986, Johan Cruyff calls him. He wants the Nail to come and join Ajax. “I was really honoured by that and my heart wanted to go, but Anderlecht also contacted me and their offer was substantially better than Ajax’. Arie Haan was coach at Anderlecht and they were doing better than Ajax in those days.
I’ve played 5 years for Anderlecht and won many prizes there. I loved it there, although Anderlecht wasn’t a warm club. They celebrated their 100 year existence recently and I expected to get an invite but I didn’t hear a thing.”

Van Tiggelen is in superb form in 1988 and is part of Michels’ squad for the EC1988. “I never actually realized how big that event was for Holland until that celebration tour in Amsterdam. I don’t think I played a remarkable tournament. I did what I had to do, and that’s it.”

The EC1988 was a peak in Adrie’s career, the WC1990 was a disappointment. Van Tiggelen is extremely annoyed with the shenanigans of the KNVB officials, denying the internationals the preferred Johan Cruyff as their coach. In a VI interview, Van Tiggelen says: “If we become the world champs and the KNVB honchos show up at the party I will personally kick them out of the venue.” The KNVB puts pressure on team manager Beenhakker to send Van Tiggelen home. Don Leo refuses and uses the Nail in his starting line up. “I respected Beenhakker. He backed me in that discussion. Man, what a bunch of clowns, these officials. But the WC was a disaster. There was no unity whatsoever. Beenhakker later claimed that 75% of what happened never came out. Well, I’ll tell you…there was no 75%. That’s all Leo’s bullshit. The 75% that went wrong is probably Leo himself.”

After 1990, Van Tiggelen has a couple more successful seasons in Brussels. “I played with some top players there. Scifo, Munaron, Degryse, Grun and later Luc Nilis. Our chairman was like the pope. You weren’t supposed to talk to him. When I got an offer from France, I approached him, Constant Vandenstock, with it. He listened to me and was very nice. But at Anderlecht, players didn’t talk to the chairman. The next day, the assistant coach told me that I was never ever supposed to do that anymore. My transfer to France was not on, hahahahaaa….”

Van Tiggelen would clash with Aad de Mos at Anderlecht and he decided to move to PSV. “I was to be the replacement for Stan Valckx, who was very popular in Eindhoven. But the fans quickly turned around when they saw I could still cut it. Bobby Robson was our coach. A lovely guy. He would sometimes snooze off during team talks, but we didn’t care. He was a very nice bloke.”

Tiggel was also part of the EC1992 squad with Rinus Michels. Oranje is beaten in the semis – totally unexpected – by the Danes. We’d won 3-1 against Germany in a great game. Some boys went out to party and had a couple of drinks. I think we lost the tournament in the bar.” He retires from international football after that tournament. Advocaat wants to convince the Nail to come back but he refuses. “I was 35 years old. I’m not the come-back kid. It was enough.”

Hans Westerhof becomes PSV’s coach and the current Vitesse coach clashes with superstar Romario. In the next season, Aad de Mos is signed. He decides he won’t be needing Van Tiggelen and Wim Kieft. “He is not straight. When I was injured, he pleaded me to work hard to come back and when I was fit he never used me. He will tell you what you want to know, but he’s never honest.”

Adrie moves to FC Dordrecht but that adventure wasn’t successful. “I knew it was a step back, but this was something I hadn’t expected. The training complex, the pitch, the coach even…they couldn’t care less there. I played my last game away against Volendam. Not quite a grand farewell. On the same day, Frank Rijkaard retired from Ajax, in a different fashioin.”

But, Van Tiggelen is satisfied with his career. “Of course! I wasn’t the best player, but I had my added value. I played in the top of Europe, in Oranje, I won an EC… .What more can you ecpect? And nowadays, my type of player is rare. Boulahrouz is the only one iin the Dutch squad that I can see. Most defenders want to solve problems in a football-way. I always wanted to play as simple as possible. You don’t see that anymore.”

Any more goals for the Nail. “Not really. I’m happy. I don’t have the ambition to become head coach. I live my life, on Saturdays I have a beer at the club in Oud Beijerland, and watch my sons play in the first team of Strijen with the wife… No, I’m good.”

When Anderlecht – with Adrie – was European top: versus Barca….

Sources: VI, Wikipedia, Internet, YouTube

Today, Bert van Marwijk’s tenure with Oranje really starts. In the past couple of weeks he traveled around Europe to see his boys perform again after the EC2008. The friendly against Russia will be “the introduction game”, according to Van Marwijk, who knows six players from personal history at Feyenoord and Fortuna Sittard.

He will meet the rest of the group (minus injured Boulah and Engelaar) today at the Amsterdam Arena trainings pitch. He’ll then fly to Moscow with the group where he’ll appoint his captain in the hotel tomorrow.

Van Marwijk had as his objective a face to face meeting and a match of every player. The only players he missed were Andre Ooijer and Boulah, the latter due to his injury.

“I think we have a good idea of where the players are at this moment. I also spend some time with De Haan’s team in Hong Kong. It was an intense period, but it was worth it.”

Assistant Cooky Voorn was at Van Marwijk’s side when he did his tour. The other two assistants, Frank de Boer and Phillip Cocu, will join the staff around qualification matches.

Cocu works as an apprentice at PSV and will be able to closely follow Afellay, while Frank de Boer is youth coach at Ajax. Oranje scout and analyst Ronald Spelbos followed Dirk Kuyt in his CL match with Liverpool against Standard Luik.

Van Marwijk will also follow AZ Alkmaar, for the position of holding midfielder. AZ used to be the main supplier of players under Van Basten, at certain times, and now Van Marwijk will closely monitor De Zeeuw and Stijn Schaars, who finally came back from a severe injury.

The first training Van Marwijk led was a set of positioning games, just to get in the flow of things.

Mark van Bommel made his comeback in the orange jersey. Cocu and De Boer made their debuts as assistant coaches.

Van Bommel wouldn’t find it logical if he is handed the skippers armband: “I’ve been a way for while. I wasn’t part of the journey for two years. To me, it would be unlogical to hand me the band.”

Van Bommel emphasized that he’s very happy to be back. “And I do get the feeling the lads are happy to see me again. I never had any problems with the group. I just couldn’t work with Van Basten.”

The Bayern skipper doesn’t expect any issues with his team manager and father in law. “I worked as a player under him at Fortuna. That went very well too. When we’re at Oranje, he is not my kids granddad. He is the team manager. And I always had my issues with my coaches so I’m definitely going to have words with this one as well.”

I will never forget this particular moment. A great goal by one-time-supertalent Marciano Vink. The Ajax player – destined to become the next Ruud Krol – made a move to Italy and played for Genova (as did John van ‘t Schip).

Vink wouldn’t last long in international football due to injuries, but before he had to retire, he did score a wonderful goal…

Take a look and enjoy:

FC Twente played an impressive match against big guns Arsenal for the CL qualifications in Enschede.

Although the McLaren team never looked liked they’d whip the Gunners’ arses, a goalless draw seemed possible. Arsenal benefited from a defensive blunder after an hour of play, when the Tukkers forgot to clear a Van Persie free kick and Gallas scored the 0-1. Late in the game Arsenal scored the second. It seemed the CL is one bridge too far for Twente.

Arsene Wenger was impressed with the way Twente played, but Steve McLaren blaimed his team for defending to naively. “These matches will help us progress, in the end. We may have lost now, but these defeats will make us stronger.”

Robin van Persie even commented on the toughness of his opponents. “We knew they’d try to outplay us physically. It was even borderline mean, at times.”

The match at the Emirates Stadium seems a formality for FC Twente.

Former Feyenoord defender and Cardiff player Glenn Loovens struck a four-year deal with Celtic. His former Feyenoord coach Van Marwijk will often watch the Glaswegians play, what with Vennegoor there and Loovens might well be one of the new defensive rocks of Oranje.

Foppe de Haan’s last training was canceled due to heavy rains. “I’m not that sad about it. It was a bit of running for the players who didn’t play against Japan. Let’s hope it’s dry when we play Argentina.”

Harris Medunjahin, one of Holland most technical player, is tested by Spanish side Real Valladolid. The former AZ player isn’t used as much as he wants by Louis van Gaal, while Foppe de Haan bypassed him for the Olympic Games. “I need a fresh start. I know what I can, but somehow my coaches in Holland lack faith in me.” The out-of-this-world skilled midfielder is criticized by the over-critical Van Gaal for his lack of discipline and vision. Van Gaal has always been more in favour of polyvalent pplayers vs specialists.

Almost ten years after his debut in Oranje Ruud van Nistelrooy decided to stop as international. The 32 year old striker wants to focus fully on his career with Real Madrid.

He already told new team manager Bert van Marwijk that the WC2010 is a bridge too far. Van Nistelrooy said he didn’t take his decision lightly. He already speculated about stopping this last spring among friends. But right after the loss against Russia at this EC, he publicly stated that he would go on in Oranje. He was mentally broken after the defeat, but he said he still had an enormous hunger.

But, after a summer holiday of reflection and talks with his family and friends made his future clear. “I’ve checked the programs of both Madrid and Oranje and I immediately saw it would be too much for me, physically. The combination of competition in Spain, the national cup, the Champions League… I will have to make a choice… I can’t combine it with the National team anymore. That’s what I feel.”

“I highly enjoyed this last EC, honestly. I look back at it with satisfaction, despite our loss.”

Van Nistelrooy had a long talk with Van Marwijk, weeks ago already. But both decided to wait a while with making his decision public.

“I can only respect his decision,” Van Marwijk said. “Obviously, I’m sorry he made this decision and that I can’t use him and his skills in the qualifications. With his experience and mentality, let alone his abilities, he will be sorely missed. I wish him all the best in Madrid.”

Van Nistelrooy is the second pillar to quit Oranje after skipper Van der Sar’s retirement. Two other 30somethings – Gio van Bronckhorst and Andre Ooijer – have told Van Marwijk they will be available.

Van Nistelrooy’s decision raises some questions on the full pro calendar these days. Van Gol once calculated that he had two free Wednesday nights last year. The rest of the weeks were planned with midweek matches. He said he got a fright seeing all those full up dates in his schedule.

For this reason, Van der Sar negotiated days off during friendlies with Marco van Basten.

Ruud van Nistelrooy, father of two young kids, was first selected by Frank Rijkaard. As a PSV player he made his debut in a friendly in 1998 against Germany (1-1)

He was 22 years old then. The 2008 EC was his third big tournament. Van the Man wasn’t able to win any silverware. His biggest upsets in Oranje were the fight with his team manager Van Basten and the EC2000 in Holland which he missed due to injury.

In ten years Oranje, Ruud played 64 games, scoring 33 times (as much as JC did). At the last EC he decided to go for Patrick Kluivert’s record of 40 goals. He won’t be making the seven goals that separate them.

We already voted our holding midfielder, so that means we have to now for one more “static” but still creative midfielder ( think Van Hanegem, Seedorf, Sneijder) so we can allow Johan to play the shadowstriker’s midfielder-role…. Comfusing?

The ideal “static” creative midfielder for the Best Oranje Ever:
( polls)

The more offensive shadowstriker’s role is obviously still open for the vote. I may have a preference for El Salvador, but maybe you rather see someone else there. In the course of the past decades, we did have some wonderful players playing there…

Who would be the ideal shadowstriker in our Best Oranje Ever?
( surveys)

I just found a complete list with all the players who ever played for Oranje and I must say… I did forget quite some impressive names: Hugo Hovenkamp… Sonny Silooy….Ernie Brandts, Willy van der Kerkhof…and more… But, you didn’t mention them either so I won’t feel guilty …

The 2010 World Championship in South Africa is unique to start with. Never before was there a WC in Africa. Holland shares the qualifications group with Scotland, Norway, Macedonia and Iceland. None of these nations were at the EC2008.

The WC will be held from 11 June to 11 July 2010.

New team manager
After the EC2008, Bert van Marwijk will take over as team manager of Oranje. Van Marwijk was Feyenoord’s coach in the recent season. The winner of the qualifications will be qualified directly for the WC. The eight best numbers 2 will have to compete in play offs for the remaining four tickets.

Last fixtures

Scotland
The last time Oranje played Scotland was in 2003, play offs for the EC2004. Dick Advocaat’s team lost the first leg 1-0 away, but won at home with 6-0 led by man of the match Wesley Sneijder. The two teams played against each other at the EC 1996 in the group states. The openings duel ended in 0-0.
In recent years, Scotland invested a lot in their national football team. Rinus Michels was advisor for some time and German icon Berti Vogts used to be their team manager. Rainer Bonhof is still youth coach at the Scottish federation. Scottish football is making its way back, with Celtic and Glasgow Rangers performing nicely even in Europe. Will the days of Kenny Dalglish, Charley Champagne Nichols, Archie Gemmill, Mel Gibson, Joe Jordan, Gordon Strachan, John Wark and John Robertson return? France experienced the strength of the Scots in their qualifications for EC2008. The French lost twice against Scotland.

Norway
Holland shared the qualification groups for the WC1994 and EC1996 with Norway. Norway was a tough opponent for Holland. It played 0-0 and 3-0 at home and lost 2-1 in Norway and drew once 1-1. In 2002 Holland played a friendly in Norway and won 0-1. Edgar Davids was the goal scorer.
Norway has always been a tough opponent for Holland. Both the national team and clubteams like Rosenborg has proven to be hard opponents to beat over the years. The disciplined, tight and physically strong Norwegians’ gameplay is not liked by the more creative Dutch players.

Macedonia
Holland was pitched against Macedonia in the WC2006 qualifications. Two draws was the result: 2-2 and 0-0. Although Macedonia is regarded to be a small football nations, like Croatia and Serbia they can field skilled and shrewd players. For Holland, playing Macedonia is seen as necessary game to win on the road to bigger things. Macedonia on the other hand, approaches games against big nations as a finals and appears to be tough to beat.

Iceland
In 1983 Oranje played Iceland for the last time. This game was Marco van Basten’s debut. Holland won 3-0. Although Iceland ranks in between Andorra, Luxembourg, Malta and Albania, the Icelanders are a tough bunch and have brought forward fine players in the past, such as Petur Peturson and Aisgir Sigurvinson.

Holland will most likely enter this group as the faves and will have everything to lose when the concentration isn’t there.

Jaap Stam is one of those players who took the long and winding road to the top. Never acknowledged by the selection-masters of Zeist when he was young, Stam started his pro career at FC Zwolle. Went to Cambuur before making a name for himself at Willem II. There, he played full back and sometimes midfielder and impressed with his runs from box to box. At PSV, Stam was converted to center back and decide to invest heavily in his strongest asset: his mentality and concentration.

Stam was fast for such a big boy, a great header and physically strong. Another strength was the fact that he knew what his weaknesses were. Still, Stam was a much better player than most people think, but he stuck to his role: disarming the opponent and passing the ball to a better player. The fact that as a youngster, he was never seen as a talent helped him in his career. He always worked super hard to prove to his new employers and his criticasters that he could do the job. I still remember how he was called up for the EC1996 late before the tournament (another defender got injured). Stam was filmed how he went to the KNVB costume designer to have a fitting for his suite. Stam was shy, overwhelmed and humble. Stuttering before the cameras. He’d make his debut on the EC1996 on the big stage in England and never looked back. After PSV, the big man went on to play for Man United, Lazio Roma and AC Milan. His last employer was Ajax (not a bad resume), but he had to stop earlier than he wanted. The big, strong body and the focussed brain couldn’t handle top football anymore.

Romario: “I don’t know Jaape Stamme but I just wanted to play in the FC Zwolle stadium again…”

On July 26, Jaap Stam will play his farewell match in the FC Zwolle stadium and a number of big names from the Haute Cuisine of International football will be there: Paolo Maldini (AC Milan), Romario (PSV), De Brothers De Boer, Jordi Cruyff, Phillip Cocu, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids, Aron Winter, Dennis Bergkamp, Marc Overmars, Wim Jonk and Patrick Kluivert will be the other players in Stam’s team, coached by none other than Guus Hiddink. Other international names that will support Stam: Pippo Inzaghi, Gennaro Gattuso and Allessandro Nesta.

Stam’s Star-team will play Ajax, coached by Marco van Basten. Who knows, maybe Marco can outsmart Guus this time after all…

Deco will move from Barcelona to Chelsea. The Portuguese midfielder will be reunited with his Portugal coach Scolari.

Patrick Kluivert returns to Holland! He will move from Lille to AZ Alkmaar and will be reunited with his old Ajax and Oranje coach Louis van Gaal. Kluivert is not at AZ as a player though, but as student-coach since he’s started the coaching-course in Zeist. Shota Arveladze – former Ajax and AZ striker – will be joining him.

Australian international and NEC player Brett Holman moves to AZ, as a player.

As mentioned in the comments before, U21 winger Daniel de Ridder will leave Birmingham City. The former Ajax talent played a couple of impressive games in the first team, but couldn’t make in New York. I mean, Birmingham…

Adebayor hopes to leave Arsenal soon and play for Barca.

Eric Cantona wants to return to football as a coach. ” I want to be the best coach in the world!”. But he can’t. Louis van Gaal is already the best of the world…

Ajax wants to sign Henrique of Barca on loan.

UEFA has major doubts about EC 2012 in Poland and the Ukraine. The latter doesn’t seem to be on schedule.