Dutch football is a fascinating concept, which is both contradictory and harmonious, profound and simple. The individual skills of the players are extraordinary, and the collective cooperation is smooth and gorgeous. The Dutch are artists who use space on the court, philosophers who can speak many foreign languages outside the court, and even the orange jersey of the Dutch team is unique. Holland has the best players. Dutch clubs have conquered Europe several times. They set off a revolution in world football, but they also failed repeatedly in international competitions. The most regrettable thing is that they lost in the World Cup finals of 1974 and 1978.
This paper discusses the influence of social, political and cultural factors from 1965 to 1974 on Dutch football. This is not a simple description of the game process, but reveals the reasons and significance of the rise of Dutch football from a broader social background, and evokes those dusty memories through the individual experiences of players.
Floods bring professionalism.
It has been 75 years since the World Cup was held in Uruguay. Controversy, scandals and geniuses abound in the 644 finals, but never before has a game left such a deep mark on a country's soul, left such an incurable wound on a nation's emotional self-esteem and aroused such extensive regret and sympathy in the hearts of fans. This is the climax of a magnificent revolution and the strongest voice of a tearful tragedy.
A disaster in the 20th century.
Some things seem irrelevant. 1974 what is the relationship between a football match in Munich on July 7 and the shooting in Dallas, Texas on October 22? The Netherlands once held the World Cup in its arms, but it lost. The Kennedy family was ambushed by gunmen, and the president and governor were killed and injured. Americans once owned them, but eventually lost the youngest and most promising leader in their history. Although the time and place are so far apart, one thing is the same: the assassination of Kennedy was a great spiritual blow to Americans, and the national policy of the United States deviated from the established trend; The Dutch lost to the Germans who hated and envied them at the moment of immortality. After the crowd cleared the scene, this loss gradually poured into the hearts of the Dutch, as heavy and lasting as a nightmare.
In the eyes of the Dutch, this defeat is by no means as simple as a ball game. It carries too many tulips' ideals and sustenance, causing the "sea coachman" to reflect on World War II, the future and himself. A football match has such a profound philosophical connotation, which is not only incredible but also unbearable for other nationalities. However, the Dutch are diligent, have a unique vision, like to get to the bottom of the matter, and have a clear goal in playing football. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain why they, not Germany, Brazil or Britain, launched a shocking revolution, and the result of the revolution was so painful. The Netherlands can't forget this final that changed history and destiny. 1994, an academic institution conducted a survey on the 20th anniversary of the final, and found that almost all people who experienced the tragedy clearly remembered where they were and what they did. Timas, a Dutch dramatist, concluded after studying this misfortune and its aftermath that it was one of the three major disasters in the Netherlands in the 20th century, second only to the 1953 flood and the occupation by neighboring countries in World War II.
It is puzzling that this kind of grief was not so strong at that time, and even if there was, the Dutch might have hidden it in their hearts. On the surface, they warmly welcome international players back-win or lose-they are all heroes in China's eyes: they have brought heroic and magnificent all-around football to the world, and reached the final after participating in the World Cup for the first time after the war. Michels and his team members were admired and praised in the central square of Amsterdam, and were later summoned by the Queen and held a banquet.
Over time, the more the Dutch taste failure, the more resentful they are. A psychologist said: "We dare not admit that this game is so important to us, and we don't want to admit that we care so much about it. The wound of this heart is so deep that we dare not touch it for a long time. 1974 is like an eternal scar, a crime without punishment. " The lost final has become the ultimate topic that the Dutch will inevitably lead to when talking about football. Even an ordinary person will feel sad when talking about it. In June 2004, when I went to Lisbon to cover the European Cup, I changed planes in Amsterdam. A young customs officer left me the impression: "Ah, 1974, although we played well, we never won anything."
The loss of the Netherlands to West Germany not only symbolizes the disillusionment of a football ideal, but also means the end of all kinds of noise and fanaticism all over Europe in the1960s. Its cultural significance goes far beyond football itself, and it is a watershed in the social and political changes in the Netherlands in the1970s. After that, optimism gave way to fate, and expectation turned into doubt. Shortly after the final, the Dutch socialist government collapsed. The party is the representative of idealists in the1960s. Based on tolerance and peace, it urges the world to forget the past like the Netherlands, and those who have hurt themselves should be honored.
Mysterious tragedy
There are still unsolved mysteries, and there are still hypotheses with no answers. To borrow Churchill's words, it is "a mysterious box, a mysterious cloth, wrapped in mystery." Why did the greatest teams in history-cruyff, Van Ghanem, Neskens, Klohr, Adriano Hahn-all lose to West Germany? Why did West Germany twice challenge the most powerful opponent in the world at that time (1954 defeated Hungary led by Puskas) and won the championship by surprise? Why did Holland score a goal in 80 seconds, but failed in the next 25 minutes until it was turned over by the opponent? Why did the most outstanding players in Holland and even the world make such mistakes in the final? Does Rensenbrink's injury affect the overall cooperation? Or did cruyff's wife disturb her husband's mood by calling? Did the German media deliberately fabricate the "naked girl" scandal that shocked the Dutch military? Or did West Germany play the right tactics and finally win? Why does Holland always fall into infighting in every game? Why did Holland lose to the host country in the World Cup final? If the final of 1974 is a Dutch nightmare, why didn't the final of 1978 arouse similar feelings? If the final of 1974 is a watershed in Dutch football and social development, what is the status of the final of 1978? You can keep asking questions. ...
Perhaps Brazil in the 1970 World Cup is even greater and more sacred in people's eyes, because most people like to watch the happy ending-the most powerful team finally wins the championship, and the merits are complete and everyone is happy. However, it was the same star-studded Netherlands that lost. This tragedy is no less than Romeo and Juliet, full of charming charm and temptation. At the beginning of March, 2005, michels, the "father of Dutch football", passed away, which inspired the author to explore the internal causes of their failure and experience the tragedy that a hero once experienced.
Dutch football is a philosophy, which still bears the distinctive imprint of Ajax school. A look at the running and passing of the Dutchman will immediately leave you with a unique impression: the route of the ball is so in line with geometric aesthetics, and the position and space of people are so beautifully coordinated. Extremely complex tactical concepts were interpreted by them as unpretentious movements on the field, which was natural. Watching them play football is a warm and exciting enjoyment, which makes you hold your breath. Even the colors of Dutch jerseys are original. Unlike France, Yugoslavia and Russia, they don't match the blue, white and red colors of the national flag, but they are critical and proud of the orange sportswear of the Dutch track and field heroine Blanks Cohen in the 1948 Olympic Games. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the faint orange is jumping on the pitch, which is really original and refreshing. Dutch players are also fascinating, contradictory and harmonious wonderful species. Many English, Italian and Spanish players may not be fluent in their native languages, but whether they are cruyff, Klohr, Adriano Hahn and michels in their early years, or later Gullit, Van Basten, Koeman, Rijkaard and Fan Jiaer, they can all speak fluent foreign languages and talk to foreign media Kan Kan. They are eloquent and quick-thinking, paying attention to both the overall rigor and the freedom of personality. In Holland, football is art, beauty and consciousness. Even if you dribble and shoot well, you may not be loved by the audience and praised by the media. Bergkamp once said, "I'm not interested in ugly goals." A peerless shooter like Reinkel is of little value to cruyff. He first placed the British on the right wing and finally sent the latter home. Such an amazing group of people, you can't figure out why they hate the World Cup again and again.
This article tells not only the story that Holland lost in the two World Cup finals, but also the rise of Dutch all-around football. It explores the influence of social, political and cultural factors from 1965 to 1974 on Dutch football, so as to arouse that dusty memory-bitter but beautiful.
10 years of specialization process
For 25 years after World War II, Dutch football has been unknown. Although the Dutch national team participated in two World Cups before the war, its level and record were insignificant. In the 30 years after the war, it was only suitable to associate with Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway and other "fish bellies" and had no status. Dutch football is not without its merits in history. 1902, they initiated the establishment of the governing body of international football, and became a founding member of FIFA two years later, becoming the second country in continental Europe to popularize football. English professional teams frequently visited China at the end of 19, which is the source of the blood connection between English and Dutch football. Many Dutch clubs, including Ajax, will dominate domestic football in the future, and many British coaches will also contribute to this. Holland enjoyed a short time on the international stage at the beginning of the 20th century-1920 and 1924 won two consecutive Olympic football bronze medals. There was no World Cup at that time, so the winner of the Olympic bronze medal was naturally the third in the world.
Strictly speaking, the Netherlands just has no position in professional football, but it is a force to be reckoned with in amateur football. Tired of the word "amateur", Dutch football waited 50 years to re-enter the finals of top competitions. What's more, the experience of those two Olympic semi-finals seems destined that the Netherlands will fail in the future semi-finals or before the semi-finals. The amateur football system has hindered the development of Dutch football. From 1949 to 1955, the Netherlands played 26 international competitions, lost 22 and won only two. They can't beat Luxembourg and Northern Ireland: the former won 2- 1 in Rotterdam at home and eliminated the Netherlands from the 1964 European Cup, while the latter simply kept them out of the 1966 World Cup.
However, after the war, West German football was in an amateur state for a long time, and it was not until 1963 that the professional league was created. The professionalization of Dutch football is eight years ahead of its neighbors. On the contrary, West Germany won the first World Cup. It is worth mentioning that the Netherlands rejected the first two World Cups after the war because there were no professional players. 1954, after being professionalized, is justified, but it is forbidden to enter for four consecutive years-Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria are the other three "difficult". Since the past was so bad, where did the Dutch team get the magic to become a white swan overnight? Didn't the Czech Republic and Argentina reach the finals for the first time in the World Cup?
The change in the Netherlands did not happen overnight. Its professionalization experienced 10 years, and gradually took shape in the mid-1960s, from 1965 to 1974, which was 10 years for Dutch football. Driven by michels, Ajax rose rapidly and took turns to dominate Dutch football with Feyenoord, laying the foundation for the 1974 World Cup blockbuster. Amateur is the label of 10 after the Dutch football war. Before the implementation of professionalization, many talented Dutch players went to Italy or Spain to make a living with high salaries. Once this kind of "rebellious" behavior is discovered by the Dutch Football Association, it will be banned. In the early 1950s, there was a master of dribbling and shooting in the Netherlands named faas wilkes, nicknamed "Mona Lisa in Rotterdam", who was cruyff's childhood idol. 1950 joined inter Milan and was removed from the Dutch national team for four years.
One thing contributed to the arrival of professionalism. During the period of 1953, serious floods occurred in the Zelan area in the southwest of the Netherlands, and a group of top Dutch players spontaneously went to Paris and France to raise money for the victims. This matter was publicly opposed by the Royal Dutch Football Association. Karel Lotsi, former president of the Football Association, was born into a noble family. As the head coach of the national team before the war, he played an important role in Dutch football. Many officials of the Football Association are his disciples. He is a deadly enemy of professionalism, and likes to preach majestically before major events. The theme is that every player should do his duty and win glory for his country, regardless of fame and fortune. However, in 1979, a Dutch reporter revealed his old story: during the war, Lottie colluded with the Nazis and drove Jewish players out of the national team without even waiting for the Germans to speak. The charity match forced the Royal Football Association to compromise, and the professional league finally started at 1954. 1988, "Three Musketeers" Gullit, Rijkaard and Basten joined the Serie A giants AC Milan, swept Real Madrid and won the Champions League 4-0 in the final, which also marked the arrival of modern Dutch people.
The wooden table is a nursing bed.
Nevertheless, most clubs in the Netherlands are mainly amateur and part-time players, and their clothes are very unprofessional. Until1early 1960s, there was not much change. Two little things speak for themselves. 1959, a physiotherapist named Mueller went to Ajax for the first day and found that the medical equipment was just a wooden table and a blanket on horseback. He suggested that coach Herman Berg and team doctor Bostuma buy a nursing bed in Zhang Xianjin. They stared and thought he was crazy: "well, don't spoil the atmosphere here." We have been nursing players on this wooden table for 50 years, isn't it good? " Bostuma has a strong personality and is strict with himself and others. If a player feels uncomfortable going to see him, he always simply says, "Nothing, his legs and feet are not broken. Take an aspirin and keep kicking! " He also proudly said to Muller, "When I play football, I have to draw my own lines, set my own goals and hang my own nets. You'd better stop wasting money! "
Until the mid-1960 s, many Dutch players' salaries were not enough to support their families, even famous tourists like Ajax were no exception. Besides training in the evening, cruyff also works part-time in a sports magazine printing factory during the day, and even sells magazines on the street. Kaiser, the left wing, opened a small shop specializing in cigarettes; Right-winger Schwart also owns a grocery store. In his second season as a coach, michels persuaded the club president and the big boss to give the players a raise and promised that they would not default on their wages. Since then, the team members have trained during the day and rested at night, and their morale and cohesion have been greatly improved.
Training can reflect the level of the team. In their spare time, Dutch players are not short of skills, but their physical fitness can't keep up and they are not as strong as players from other countries. The physical training of most teams is boring and monotonous. Many coaches only know how to let players run laps, and one run is 10000 meters. Michels introduced a series of fresh and interesting training methods, and then teams began to follow suit. On the court, the Dutch tactics are also far behind the world. The Hungarians improved the original WM formation before 1953, which made the center Hidalgotti retreat to 334. This tactical innovation completely defeated the classic formation that the English were proud of, and the Brazilians updated the Hungarian tactics. 1958 World Cup, more balanced attack and defense. At the same time, the Italians also tried to change the Swiss "Bolt" style into "chain defense". The Dutch turned a deaf ear to these tactical trends and followed the 235 formation that the English gave up for more than 20 years. Chapman, the legendary British coach, retired the centre-back to the centre-back in Arsenal in the mid-1960s, while Holland arranged only two centre-backs in the early 1960s, so it is safe to go out and play football. 1957 Holland 1-5 lost to Spain, 1958 Amsterdam 1-2 lost to Turkey, 1959 West Germany defeated Holland 7-0.
Players are just numbers.
Michels also came from the amateur football era, but he had extraordinary foresight and knew the disadvantages of Dutch football. From the time he played under the Englishman Reynolds, he knew that Dutch football was not short of personal skills. Children play in the street since childhood, and they are skilled in personal skills, but they lack integrity and organization. As soon as he took office, he began to grasp the overall situation, abandoned the outdated 235, adopted the Brazilian 424 formation, and began to transform the team from a solid defense. Dutch players are notorious for their laziness and conceit. michels knows that if he wants to succeed, he can't be a good man any more. Many of his training methods are quite advanced today, and the amount of training is huge. Although he doesn't run 65438+ 100000 meters, a two-kilometer trot is inevitable, but not in the track and field, but in the forest. There are five training classes every day: from 7: 00 am, 10: 30 is special training for sprinting, jumping and gymnastics, totaling 1 hour, 15 minutes. During this period, you are not allowed to eat or drink, and you find that your training is doubled. Players can't help but get caught stealing water: "There are spies everywhere!" " The players complained privately. This method was copied to Manchester United by Scot Ferguson 20 years later, and he also imposed a comprehensive "martial law" at Old Trafford. Michels started special technical training at 2: 30 in the afternoon. The winger sprints to cross, the defender practices a set of assists, the center practices to get rid of grabbing points, and the avant-garde practices dribbling and intercepting the ball. The five-a-side game starts at five o'clock. Whoever doesn't perform well in the training match will never have a chance to play. Even Germans who love running will not practice so hard.
Michels is the devil on the training ground: "Players are just numbers on the field, not people!" Many players were not used to it at first, and called him "tyrant" and "dictator" behind his back, but when drinking and chatting with players, he was very kind, so he got the nickname "Sphinx". No matter what you call them, these nicknames represent strictness and discipline.
Michels didn't test all-around football in Ajax from the beginning. To be exact, he doesn't know what all-around football is. Many years later, others have been saying this fashionable word, and he doesn't even know what the other person is saying. When michels took over the team, Ajax was in a bad situation. His first task is to avoid demotion. Former Englishman Buckingham 1960-6 1 led a team to participate in the Champions League, and was kicked back by Norwegian champion Frederiksta in the first round. After that, his performance was erratic. 196565438+1October 2 1 4-9 Shortly after losing to Feyenoord, Ajax asked michels to take over Ba Jinhan. Michels won the trust of the club by beating Maastricht 9-3 in the first game. In the 12 games he led, Ajax won 3 games, 5 draws and 4 losses, and relegation was successful. In the second season, michels's devil training method paid off, and Ajax won the Dutch championship. Michels recalled many years later: "My first task is to achieve good results in the league and cultivate good team spirit, and then to attract high-level players and strike a balance in attack and defense."
Dutch football was a "Warring States period" in the 20 years after the war, among which Ajax, Feyenoord, William II and PSV Eindhoven scored slightly better, and even PSV's younger brother Eindhoven won a league championship in the 1953-54 season. Forty years later, Chelsea wanted to turn PSV into their reserve team. It took the Dutchman a long time to realize that Abramovich didn't want today's small team Eindhoven. However, from 1965, Feyenoord regained the league title, Dutch football entered the "North-South Dynasty" in which Rotterdam and Amsterdam took turns to win the championship, and finally Feyenoord won the championship. Who would have thought that this 10 year would be the golden age for the Netherlands to go to Europe and finally gain world recognition? Great changes have taken place in global politics and economy in 1960s, which pushed the movement of a new generation of young people seeking freedom and personality liberation to a climax. In this context, Dutch football has also undergone changes. "Rebellious genius" cruyff and head coach michels laid the foundation for Ajax to rule Europe in the future. Sacredness and space are two major elements of Dutch football. Other football cultures may have bred shooting machines, dribbling masters or monopoly champions, but no nation can design its own style in such an abstract and architectural aesthetic way as the Dutch. Ajax and the Dutch national team come down in one continuous line, both of which expand their space by running and passing, and are praised as "Pythagoras in sports shoes" by the world.
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The uncrowned king is also a king. It's not that he won the championship, but that it's not yet time.
It may not be Holland's turn to host the World Cup in the near future, and many emerging countries such as Australia, India, China and the United States will take turns to host it, but there will always be opportunities in the future.
Come on Holland!