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Warm up to the Olympics: Hedwiges Maduro

July 18th, 2008 | By: Jan | 23 Comments »

Summers normally mean football for Hedwiges Maduro. In 2005 he played the WC under 20, in 2006 he was with Oranje at the big WC in Germany and in 2007 he played the EC under 21. This summer, again Maduro defends the Dutch flag, this time at the Olympics. But he could take a little holiday first.

“It does feel like a new season,” says Maduro. The Valencia midfielder is sharp and top fit. “The last years, I couldn’t take a break after a season with the club, but this time around there was some time to take a break.”

Since July, Maduro trains on a daily basis in Zeist. His club Valencia didn’t force him to spend the first prep weeks in Spain. “That would have been a hassle. I’d have to fly back and forth for the Olympic prep-sessions. Now, I can take my rest when needed.”

The former Ajax midfielder expects a tough tournament. “The climate, the smog… I don’t expect ideal circumstances to play football. And, we only have 18 players versus 23 for the senior tournaments. But, all nations have these same circumstances, so…”

Maduro doesn’t have time for extra-curricular activities in Bejing. “We need to be focused on that one goal. The Gold. We play a match every two days, so there is no time for excursions. I do regret not staying in the Olympic village with the other athletes. I do want to watch other sports, but we’ll have to do that on the tv. I like swimming, hockey and athletics, but football is number one.”

Tags: De Haan, Drenthe, Maduro, Olympic and Young Oranje, Olympics, Oranje

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Comments

By finnster01 | July 18th, 2008 at 11:29 pm

Why are they not staying in the Olympic Village with the other athletes?

Is the accomodation not good enough? It’s the Olympics, and I am not sure Oranje is a team that responds very well to an ultra conservative approach to life.

JC and Neeskens would be right there in the midst of things. So would Gullit, Rijkard and Davids.

This sounds strange to me. Another smart KNVB move by the lads wearing the blue blazers?

Posted from United States

By Michel-Olivier | July 18th, 2008 at 11:32 pm

any news from bert van marwijk about the dutch team?

Posted from United States

By Jan | July 19th, 2008 at 1:18 am

It’s official: Aissati is an Ajax player. PSV and Ajax struck a deal.
Van Basten is also after Barca’s Oleguer…

By Jan | July 19th, 2008 at 1:20 am

No, basically it’s because the football tournament is not in Bejing .

When they reach the last four (?) they travel to Bejing.

No news as yet. Players are on a holiday or have just started and Van Marwijk is with De Haan in Honk Kong. I expect Bert to arrange a get together after the olympics.

By finnster01 | July 19th, 2008 at 5:05 am

I see, that makes sense. Just thought that the whole team had caught a nasty case of VanPersielitis. Thank goodness that wasn’t the case!!

Posted from United States

By Caleb | July 19th, 2008 at 11:50 am

Thinking from a purely logistical sense, it probably makes sense too. I don’t know if the Olympic village is big enough to accommodate all the football teams (18 players plus staff) from all the different countries, along with all the other athletes. The village would be overrun with football players.

By Caleb | July 19th, 2008 at 1:40 pm

Unrelated, but today Nacer Barazite scored the winning goal for Arsenal in a pre-season friendly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vx43Do7KZE

By Jan | July 19th, 2008 at 5:39 pm

Unrelated it is not… Why isn’t he part of the Olympic squad?

So…now we’re on-topic

By Jan | July 19th, 2008 at 5:43 pm

Now this is off topic: Gio declared he wants to stay on as Oranje player…

By tiju | July 20th, 2008 at 4:44 am

hi guys i was silent almost one and half month becoz i saw so many unwanted assholes came in to our blog.they hurted some of us.
well looking to forward
i have good faith in de haan coz he is a superb observer and a good analyst he knows how to make balenced team.not like vanbasten and eu08 coaches except argones and hiddink.
i was so sad after seeing our attitude towards the game against Russia.even though we had some luck against france and italy.
our guys thought that some russians will score goal for us.(look at their attitude at time of van der varts free kicks).
we(not we MR vanbasten) never noticed we dont have the stamina to play for even 90 minutes.
under van basten our players never had the stamina for even 90 minutes.so we payed penalty.
ivory coast proved this against us in wc 2006
now russia
in 2010 is it senegal or camroon.
i think most of the european teams are going to be kicked out from the first round itself including netherlands due to the HOT CLIMATE OF SOUTH AFRICA only brazil can survive .
@HOPE YOU GUYS JAN,GOOSE,FINNISTER,ROB,CALEB,FERENECS,STEPHEN ALL R WELL.

By finnster01 | July 20th, 2008 at 4:56 am

@tiju;
everything is good. Great to have you back.

Posted from United States

By sandesh | July 20th, 2008 at 4:59 am

hello there tiju
i have been following the articles as usual. jan has been doing gre8 job 4 us.
rite now i always look forward to listen some good transfer news regarding the dutch players. esp van der vaart. to barcelona or madrid
good to know naser was on score sheet for arsenal. hope he will get chance in the first team.
best of luck for van basten and co. for their coming season. but its terrible not to see ajax in UCL. btw wats new stuff about steve mcclaren at twente how is he shaping up the team? i know the big task ahead of him is to win the champions league qualifier. hope the opponent wont be that strong
i dont know whether i will be able to watch the Oranje games in he olympics.
there r about 3 channels which will telecast the events but not sure if i will be lucky.
was van persie seriously injured in that GOAL 4 africa match??
how is he doing Jan??
Caleb, thanks 4 the video

Posted from Nepal

By finnster01 | July 20th, 2008 at 8:35 am

McLaren has brought several very large umbrellas with him to Twente so he can continue where he left off with England.

I wish him luck, but if I was a Twente fan, I’d sell my season tickets quickly. You can expect to fall asleep very early in the second half. I don’t think he can ever be accused of having any Brazilian or Dutch relatives…

Posted from United States

By Caleb | July 20th, 2008 at 11:04 am

Tiju – nice to have you back again, and it looks like you’ve been doing some spelling practice

Sandesh – what’s this about Van Persie being injured in an Africa match?

Jan – good point, why isn’t Bazarite in the Olympic squad? Is he under the radar over at Arsenal?

Finnster – I actually enjoyed watching Middlesborough when McLaren was coach there. His time as England head coach was terrible, but I’d blame the players at least as much as the coach, if not more.

By Alex | July 20th, 2008 at 12:16 pm

Barazite has just come back from injury and only 18 i believe, wouldn’t be fair to the other players to invite him while he has hardly played last season. off-topic, i’m not that exctied about Gio in Oranje anymore, don’t hope V.Marwijk selects him, hes over the top better give
Bouma/De Cler/Pieters/Drenthe/Emanuelson the chance. I surely hope V.Marwijk isn’t going to take a majority of Feyenoord players with him, only Timmer(3rd choice?), Vlaar, De Guzman and maybe Hofland would have a chance with me. Maduro might surprise friend and foe next season at Valencia, would be nice to see him finally live up to his full potential.

Posted from Netherlands

By Michel-Olivier | July 20th, 2008 at 3:20 pm

who will make the dutch team come September 10(WC qualifier against macedonia)?
gerald sibon(new RvN)
marcellis
wijnaldum
aissati
van der wiel
leroy fer
s. de jong
barazite
de guzman
pieters
drenthe
zuiverloon
amrabat
beerens

Posted from United States

By Carlos | July 20th, 2008 at 6:09 pm

@tiju
South Africa in August is freezing cold and perfect for football, not like USA or Japan in August (occasionally Europe . So the weather is not going to be a factor. Think having it in Australia would be great too apart from great weather in August – great time zone too (for us in Asia).
Read somewhere Blatter has a plan B in case security in SA fails to provide. Mexico has been asked to stand by ? Ouch !!! Jan get the Aussies to have Plan B ready for Seppy please .

Posted from Singapore

By Jan | July 20th, 2008 at 7:56 pm

That’s funny, Sibon the new RvN… . I’d say Ruud is the new Sibon! Gerald Sibon is 34 years old and in the autumn of his career. He will never make Oranje anymore. He’s one of those players for whom a new spot in the line up needs to be invented. Not a striker, not a midfielder…

I expect to see Marcellis soon in the big Oranje, and that’s that, really.

By Michel-Olivier | July 21st, 2008 at 9:41 am

@ jan
sibon is a late bloomer. van galen made hi debut at the age of 34 and van hooijdonk last dutch cap was when he was 34.

Posted from United States

By Lerkot | July 21st, 2008 at 10:56 am

Sibon is a never bloomer, I’d say. He made a good season, sure, but he’s done that before just to suck the next season. Can see that happening again. Dont think he will do more than ten goals in 08/09.

By Jan | July 21st, 2008 at 5:35 pm

Great clip Finn. Ajax scored by accident when a player is down. Ajax then allows the opponent to score against them

By Jan | July 21st, 2008 at 5:39 pm

Tidbits:

Bona Kalou (big bro of Salomon and ex-Feyenoord winger) returns to Holland. He’ll play for Heerenveen

Boulah has signed with VFB Stuttgart and will be Der Kannibal again.

Co Adriaanse impresses with Red Bull Salzburg. He leads the Austrian competition and gave the Armenian opponents a whipping with 7-0 for the UEFA cup.

Clarence Seedorf will hold on to the number 10 jersey, despite Ronaldinho joining AC Milan. The toothed-one will wear number 80.

By Caleb | July 22nd, 2008 at 8:53 am

Number 80?? That’s stupid. This is football, not hockey, players should wear proper numbers!

Posted from Canada