Name: Marco van Basten
Born: Utrecht, Netherlands
Nationality: Netherlands
Position: Striker
DOB: 31/10/1964
Current Club:
Career History:
Career History:
Marco van Basten was possibly the best striker of his generation if not of all time. He played for Ajax Amsterdam and A.C. Milan in the 1980s.
Van Basten was born in Utrecht, the Netherlands. He played very briefly for Elinkwijk before Ajax grabbed him. He played his first game for Ajax in April 1982 and was already proclaimed the new Johan Cruijff at that time. He scored on his debut.
In 1987 Silvio Berlusconi brought van Basten to Milan along with Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard joining them in 1988. In his first season Milan won their first scudetto (league championship) in eight years, but Van Basten played only eleven games and was constantly troubled by an ankle injury. Despite this, in Euro 1988 van Basten had a dazzling run of form - including scoring three against England and a spectacular volley in the final against the Soviet Union.
Boosted by his form in international competition, van Basten had a great season in 1988-89, he was European Footballer of the Year and scored nineteen goals in Serie A as well as helping Milan demolish Steaua Bucharest to win the European Cup. In 1989-90 he was Capocannoniere (Serie A's leading goal scorer) and Milan defended their European Cup successfully. The Dutch national side had a very poor World Cup in 1990, finally going out to West Germany in the second round. West Germany were the eventual winners.
In 1987 Silvio Berlusconi brought van Basten to Milan along with Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard joining them in 1988. In his first season Milan won their first scudetto (league championship) in eight years, but Van Basten played only eleven games and was constantly troubled by an ankle injury. Despite this, in Euro 1988 van Basten had a dazzling run of form - including scoring three against England and a spectacular volley in the final against the Soviet Union.
Boosted by his form in international competition, van Basten had a great season in 1988-89, he was European Footballer of the Year and scored nineteen goals in Serie A as well as helping Milan demolish Steaua Bucharest to win the European Cup. In 1989-90 he was Capocannoniere (Serie A's leading goal scorer) and Milan defended their European Cup successfully. The Dutch national side had a very poor World Cup in 1990, finally going out to West Germany in the second round. West Germany were the eventual winners.
Milan's 1990-91 European season was ruined in the semi-final against Olympique Marseille (they were ordered by Adriano Galliani off the pitch when the flood lights failed while they were losing). This led to the club receiving a year long ban from European football, Van Basten had early been banned for four matches following a cynical elbowing offense. Domestically the club was disappointing as well, Sampdoria winning the scudetto. Van Basten clashed with manager Arrigo Sacchi and Berlusconi sacked Sacchi to placate him. Without European football in 1991-92 and under the leadership of Fabio Capello, Milan did not lose a single game in the league and retrieved the championship, Van Basten scored 25 goals and was Capocannoniere again. Internationally the Dutch went out of EURO 92 to Denmark in a penalty shootout, van Basten missing one.
Milan however stretched their unbeaten run into the 1992-93 season, going 58 matches in total before they lost a game. Van Basten had some great games in the early part of the season and was voted European Player of the Year for a third time before a return of his troublesome ankle injury while playing Ancona. Van Basten underwent another in a series of operations and returned to Milan for the final few domestic games and to lose the Champions League final to Marseille. The final was van Basten's last game for Milan; despite efforts, he was unable to recover from his injuries.
Van Basten officially left Milan in 1995 and retired from football, stating he would never try management, a promise he has kept until recently when he decided that football was too important for him. He took a course with the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) and passed. His first stint as a coach was as an assistant to former teammate John van 't Schip at the second team of Ajax in season 2003-2004.
On 29 July 2004, van Basten was named as the new head coach of the Dutch national team, with van 't Schip as his assistant.
Van Basten's system for the national team was radically different from previous manager, Dick Advocaat, which was to employ younger players who enjoyed playing football, and did not have any ego problems. This left many veterans out of the squad, including Patrick Kluivert, and Clarence Seedorf.
Van Basten officially left Milan in 1995 and retired from football, stating he would never try management, a promise he has kept until recently when he decided that football was too important for him. He took a course with the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) and passed. His first stint as a coach was as an assistant to former teammate John van 't Schip at the second team of Ajax in season 2003-2004.
On 29 July 2004, van Basten was named as the new head coach of the Dutch national team, with van 't Schip as his assistant.
Van Basten's system for the national team was radically different from previous manager, Dick Advocaat, which was to employ younger players who enjoyed playing football, and did not have any ego problems. This left many veterans out of the squad, including Patrick Kluivert, and Clarence Seedorf.
Next to one of the best Dutch players ever, Van Basten is also one of the unluckiest players… Born in Utrecht, Van Basten started to play for EDO, UVV and Elinkwijk (all in Utrecht) before he started playing in the youth of
Ajax.
He made his debut in on 3 April, 1982 against NEC Nijmegen when he was a half time substitution for probably the best Dutch player ever, Johan Cruijff, so it was surely a memorable day, especially because he also scored his first goal for Ajax. Van Basten’s career was threatened by injuries and was forced to quit in 1995, after not playing for 2 years.
Everybody will remember his bicycle-kicks against FC Den Bosch (in 1987) and against IFK Göteborg in the Champions League, in which game he scored all the goals in a 4-0 win. His biggest victory was absolutely in 1988 when he scored five times in the European Championship of 1988, including the very important 2-1 against West-Germany, which helped Holland get over a very bad feeling they had since 1974.
- Ronald Zwiers-
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