‘Money threatens Dutch growth’
DOHA: Former Dutch stars Ruud Gullit and Ronald de Boer feel good times are back in the Oranje camp again but “patience” will be key going forward.
Gullit and Ronald, the older twin of Frank de Boer, feel Netherlands are turning the corner after failing to qualify for Euro 2016 and the World Cup in Russia.
De Boer, who works for Ajax, the club that produces for Holland a stream of international class players, says the Dutch were suffering due to a “generation gap.” De Boer played 67 times for the national side.
“Holland have played four World Cup semis, two finals and we have always been in the top, but we can’t be always in the top,” the 48-year-old De Boer said during the Lusail Stadium design launch event here on Saturday.
Netherlands will face England in the Nations League semi-final on June 6 with Portugal playing Switzerland in the first semis on June 5. The match will be England’s first competitive encounter since defeating the Dutch in Euro 1996.
“We have to be patient with the new generation of players but there are some worrying signs for us,” said Boer.
TALENT DRAIN
Top clubs are eying the talented Dutch players and De Boer is worried Ajax sensation Frenkie de Jong is already sitting on a 75 million Euro move to Paris St Germain after just one season at the top. The 21-year-old Frenkie, much sought after by Manchester City and Barcelona, has impressed scouts with his sensational performances for the national and club sides.
“Money is ruling football. If we can’t keep the players, the big teams (with big budgets) will take awayouryoungboysanddutch football will suffer,” said De Boer, adding that Dutch clubs were trying to increase their budgets.
If Frenkie De Jong signed for PSG for the fee mentioned, the transfer would eclipse the Dutch league record of £35 million – an amount Tottenham paid to get Davinson Sanchez from Ajax in 2017. De Boer said Dutch success always depended on the feeder system that produced talented footballers. “That is back again with six players emerging. We just have to be patient with them. When we did well, a generation of players had similarly emerged,” he said.
Gullit, who was assisting head national coach Dick Advocaat until two months ago, said: “The sceptics did not take us seriously when I said we will rise again. Now they believe it. Gullit is an expert analyst for a local TV station in Doha. He said current coach Ronald Koeman is just build on the momentum. “We were winning our matches and Koeman is taking it forward,” said Gullit when asked if the 54-year-old ex-everton manager was doing anything special.