The Netherlands is a country that lives and breathes football.
Despite having a population of just over 17 million, they have produced generation after generation of elite footballers.
However, across both World Cup and European Championships tournaments, the ‘Oranje’ have finished as runners-up on four occasions and have attained eight third-place finishes. The only time Holland have tasted international glory came at a European Championships.
The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Jeremie Frimpong and Xavi Simons are coming into this summer's tournament on the back of strong 2023/24 campaigns with their clubs.
The Dutch population will be hoping their team can go further than they did three years ago. At Euro 2020, Frank de Boer’s side suffered a shock exit at the hands of the Czech Republic in the round of 16.
The Netherlands are fancied to advance from Group D, as they take on France, Austria and Poland. But to go back to the last (and only) time they previously triumphed at a major tournament, you would need to go back 36 years.
Rinus Michels’ ‘Flying Dutchmen’ were crowned kings of the continent in 1988 - the last time the Euros were hosted by Germany. Fitting symmetry, perhaps?
The Group
This was at a time when only eight nations contested the competition.
Hosts West Germany were joined in Group One by Denmark, Italy and Spain. Meanwhile, Group Two saw the Netherlands face off against England, the Republic of Ireland and the Soviet Union.
Michels’ side included Ronald and Erwin Koeman. Ronald is managing his nation this summer. Many of the country’s hopes were pinned on legendary AC Milan trio: Frank Rijkaard, captain Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten.
Current Ajax boss John van’t Schip was also in the side, along with John Bosman and Ajax legend of the 1970’s, Arnold Mühren.
The Manager
This talented crop of players were led into the finals by Rinus Michels. The five-time Dutch international was a one-club man with Ajax in his playing days.
As a manager, he led the Amsterdam giants to four league titles, three cups and the European Cup in 1971. Michels had also won major honours with Barcelona and Köln.
He had also managed Holland across two previous spells - the first of which saw him lead Johan Cruyff and the ‘Clockwork Orange’ to a runners-up finish at the 1974 World Cup.
For Euro 1988, Michels had led the Netherlands to their first major finals in eight years, having previously failed to qualify for the past three.
How did they do?
In their first match, the ‘Oranje’ fell to a 1-0 defeat to the Soviet Union in Cologne. Michels’ men had to respond against an England side that contained the likes of Gary Lineker, Peter Shilton and Tony Adams.
Respond, they did. Marco van Basten’s goal on the stroke of half-time was cancelled out by a Bryan Robson equaliser. But the AC Milan marksman hit a hat-trick to condemn the Three Lions to a group stage exit.
Holland were a point behind Ireland and the Soviet Union heading into the final group game, with both sides on three points. A late goal from substitute Wim Kieft sent the Irish packing as Koeman, Rijkaard and co. crept into the semi-finals.
That set up a corker of a tie against Group 1 winners and hosts West Germany. Captain Lothar Matthäus had put Franz Beckenbauer’s side in front from the penalty spot in the second half. But Ronald Koeman levelled the scores from 12 yards at the other end of the pitch with 16 minutes to play in Hamburg.
With two minutes remaining, van Basten stepped up again and sent the ‘Oranje’ to the final. The Soviet Union had passed the Italians in the semi, setting up an opportunity for revenge for the Dutch in the final.
At Munich’s Olympiastadion, Michels’ men got the job done with goals on either side of half-time coming from Gullit and an iconic volley by van Basten.
Gullit held the Henri Delaunay Trophy aloft in that revered Adidas strip, as the Dutch wrote their names into the history books.
The Star Player?
This was a generational group of players.
But it cannot be denied that they were inspired to glory by their iconic trio and by Marco van Basten. He was the tournament’s top goalscorer with five goals.
That goal cemented his legacy. That year, van Basten won the Ballon d’Or, with Gullit and Rijkaard completing the podium. An ankle injury in 1993 ultimately brought his career to an abrupt end at 28 years old.
Before that, van Basten was able to represent his nation yet again at Italia ’90 and at the 1992 Euros in Sweden.
How did their 2024 Qualifying go?
It was a relatively routine qualifying process for Koeman’s ‘Oranje’. Holland won six out of eight games, losing twice to France. Cody Gakpo, Wout Weghorst and Calvin Stengs were their top goalscorer with three goals each. Gakpo and Weghorst are in the 26-man squad for the tournament.
No Netherlands side has quite matched the feat of that iconic ’88 side, but they will be hoping to replicate it when they return to Germany this summer.
