Regardless of the humiliation, Willems is eternally grateful for the unbelievable 2012 European Championship

• Thierry Boon

  following the Dutch nationwide crew

From the glory of 1988 to the everlasting scar of 2000. You may discuss a love-hate relationship between the Dutch nationwide crew and the European championship.

The Dutch crew can be current in Germany for the eleventh time in historical past within the coming weeks. By no means has a European Championship been so humiliating because the 2012 event in Poland and Ukraine. Though it was an unforgettable summer season for an 18-year-old man. Jethro Williams.

The Dutch nationwide crew is likely one of the favorites for the ultimate victory on the European Championship in 2012. In any case, the World Cup closing was reached two years earlier and the celebs of that point, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie, are additionally there now.

The Netherlands at EC soccer

EC 1976: third place
1980 European Championship: group stage
EC 1988: winner
EC 1992: semi-final
EC 1996: quarter-final
EC 2000: semi-final
EC 2004: semi-finals
EC 2008: quarter-finals
Euro 2012: group stage
EC 2020: the eighth closing

Listed below are Bert van Marwijk’s years as a nationwide coach. The frivolous soccer of 2008 has advanced right into a efficiency soccer. The Netherlands narrowly beat and certified for the European Championship with an incredible show of energy.

At first of Could, Van Marwijk had a sudden downside. Erik Pieters, the anticipated left-back, should miss the European Championship as a result of a foot damage. And behind that, it appears that there’s not a surplus of succesful individuals within the Netherlands.

Van Marwijk and his workers search in every single place and ultimately provide you with teenager Willems, who has simply skilled his first season on the prime stage with PSV. His rival is Stijn Schaars, a midfielder in any case.

The necessity is nice, the surprise is nice. Even with Willems, he says twelve years later. After an evening of taking part in on the Ps, the younger participant, nonetheless in half-asleep mode, congratulates everybody on the membership on his name. “I assumed it was in regards to the Dutch underneath 19.”

No extra, Willems goes with the massive males and is even a primary participant on the European stage. On the age of 18, he was the youngest participant ever on the European Championship. Willems has an open thoughts. He does not discover it attention-grabbing, however largely stunning. “That was my model too: be daring and simply do your factor.”

“The motive force was very current within the group. You observed that the World Cup closing had been reached two years earlier than. There was additionally stress. From the skin, but in addition from the group. They’d achieved one thing stunning achieved on the World Cup they usually wished to be there.

That’s undoubtedly totally different. The Dutch crew, towards all expectations and the sample of the sport, misplaced towards Denmark within the first group sport. The sport proven isn’t unhealthy in any respect, however the odds are merely not there. Willems, who performs strongly, is near purpose with a protracted shot.

With Germany and Portugal as the subsequent opponents, it’s a warning stage for the Dutch crew. Not that Willems cares about that a lot. Along with Luciano Narsingh, who gained the European Championship and Gregory van der Wiel, he performs stress-free video games in his spare time.

Two extra losses comply with. The Dutch nationwide crew, former world champions, will depart the European Championship with zero factors and, above all, with disgrace. Plainly issues usually are not going nicely within the group anymore, Sneijder wrote years later in his biography.

After a 1-0 loss towards the Danes, issues already exploded Throughout dinner, substitute Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and captain Mark van Bommel virtually got here to blows. “It wasn’t a battle, as a result of I used to be within the center. Then I knew: this wasn’t going to work out anymore,” mentioned Sneijder.

All of it goes past Willems. “I did not discover that in any respect,” he says. “However the dismissal was large. Within the dressing room everybody was dissatisfied, everybody was offended. It was additionally very quiet, which is logical. I do not suppose it is best to converse at the moment.”

Though it’s a black web page within the historical past of Dutch soccer, Willems can personally take constructive factors from it in 2024. “In the future I can inform my son what it was prefer to be a “to play within the European Championship. That is crucial factor for me.”

The Curaçao-born footballer cherishes the moments after the matches on the European Championship, the place he can meet his household within the stands. “I bear in mind how glad everybody was to be there. Particularly my grandmothers from Curaçao.”

Regardless of his nice potential, Willems disappeared from the Dutch crew within the following years. As a result of damage he missed the 2014 World Cup and in 2016 he performed his final of twenty-two worldwide matches.

The spectacular European Championship 2012 was the primary and solely closing event of his soccer profession. “However I definitely loved it sufficient. I acquired to know him and I am grateful for that.”