Holland Coach Marco van Basten has been left stunned after Clarence Seedorf pulled out of Euro 2008.
Seedorf was last week named in Van Basten’s 30-man provisional squad, and he had been certain to be selected when this list is whittled down to 23 before the May 28 deadline.
However completely out-of-the-blue it has been revealed that the Milan midfielder has decided to pull out of the Euros.
The 32-year-old has had a large number of bust-ups with the Holland national team over the years, and indeed he has publicly stated in the past that he feels he has been treated appallingly by those in positions of power.
Seedorf was snubbed between 2004 and 2006 by Van Basten and did not travel to the World Cup in Germany. However he came back into the reckoning during a friendly with England in November 2006, and went on to be a key figure in qualification for Euro 2008.
Seedorf is the fourth most capped Holland player, having made 87 appearances since his debut way back in 1994.
Van Basten Shock
Van Basten has revealed that he was left completely shocked when he received the phone call from Seedorf, notifying him of his decision.
“I was surprised by his announcement,” said the Netherlands boss, who will step down at the end of the tournament to take over at former club Ajax.
“I wasn’t expecting this. I have said before that I have a lot of respect for Clarence, both as a person and as a footballer. But his decision was final.”
With the 32-year-old Suriname-born midfielder withdrawing, Van Basten is now left with 29 players pre-selected, a squad he will cut down to 26 on Friday. He will then face a May 28 deadline to decide on his final 23.
Kuyt is the people’s choice
Seedorf making himself unavailable also means that he won’t come up against Italy, where’s he’s been plying his trade since January 2000. It could also be somewhat of good news to Dirk Kuyt, who’s reportedly also in limbo.
The Liverpool forward has been included in Van Basten’s initial squad and it seems that the Dutch fans want to see him travel along to Austria and Switzerland.
The football association conducted a poll on its website, asking the Oranje faithful to suggest which one among Danny Koevermans, Arjen Robben, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Kuyt should definitely be included.
More than half of the 12,000 people who posted their opinion (52%) went for Kuyt, with the Real Madrid winger finishing second with almost one third of the vote (32%). Vennegoor of Hesselink was third on 9% and Koevermans last with a mere 7 per cent.
Goal.com - Netherlands - Van Basten Stunned As Seedorf Pulls Out
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