One thing unite both Marco van Basten and Roberto Donadoni. Both men used to play for AC Milan and were part of Arrigo Sacchi's great team of the late 1980's. Fast forward to the present day.
Marco van Basten is the coach of the Oranje and his Italian counterpart Roberto Donadoni is the coach of the Azzuri. The former wants to go out on a high as he will be coaching his former club Ajax after the European Championships. After all, he won the European Championships exactly two decades ago after his volley against the Soviets eventually landed Holland's only major trophy to date. As for Donadoni, trying to get out of his predecessor Marcello Lippi's shadow.
According to Marco van Basten, they can survive even with Arjen Robben is on the sidelines. On Saturday, Italy striker Alessandro Del Piero insisted he can play anywhere. While the Oranje wants to banish the ghosts of Euro 2000, Italy coach Roberto Donadoni believes that even though his country has a 30-year unbeaten record against the Dutch, it will count for nothing.
Team news now. Other than Arjen Robben already out, Robin van Persie and Ryan Babel are out for the Oranje as well even before the kick-off. Mario Melchiot's questionable. Clarence Seedorf and Mark van Bommel want nothing to do with van Basten at all. For Italy, captain Fabio Cannavaro's exit even before the start of the tournament is already a major blow given he has always been part of Italy's defence. In short, injury news all around.
I happened to watch a repeat of one of the episodes to the Euro 2008 magazine show today and there was former Dutch goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen remembering the 1988 final against the Soviet Union. Current goalkeeper for the Oranje, Edwin van der Sar had talked of a 'van Breukelen moment' after the Champions League final. Given van Breukelen had won the then-European Cup with PSV Eindhoven and the following month after that, Holland were champions of Europe. van der Sar may have won the Champions League with Manchester United on penalties but, the tournament will probably be the final chance he has with the national team (given of his age). It has been 20 years since even all the more sweeter for the Dutch as they won the European Championship in the then-West Germany (which now as the unified Germany, both nations still has quite a football rivalry with each other).
It was Del Piero's performance with Juventus which finally convinced Roberto Donadoni to take the striker along for the tournament. Other than that, someone by the name of Luca Toni is also part of the squad too and the Bayern Munich striker is a classic case of a late bloomer.
Cannavaro's absence for the Azzuri does have its impact given all the more he has a few Real Madrid colleagues in the Oranje and striker Ruud van Nistelrooy is among them. Speaking of van Nistelrooy, who are also on the Oranje.
Before I end, one thing that I had always like is the nature of the Oranje fans as everyone will come out and paint the town orange, almost literally! But then, orange is the colour of the Dutch royal family.
