Manager: Dick Advocaat
Star Players: Ruud van Nistelrooy, Arjen Robben, Jaap Stam
Honours: 1988 European Championship
Qualification: 2nd, Group 3. Play-off v. Scotland (6-1 agg.)

The Dutch have long been blessed with some of Europe’s greatest footballing talent but Dick Advocaat’s side needed to go through the playoffs to book their places in Portugal.

Having lost 3-1 in Prague, Holland travelled to Scotland only to be turned over 1-0 by their hosts, the goal coming from James McFadden. However, in the second leg in Amsterdam, the Dutch stamped their class all over Scotland, winning 6-0, Ruud van Nistelrooy scoring a hat-trick.

Equipped with the likes of van Nistelrooy, Patrick Kluivert, Philip Cocu and Edgar Davids, Holland deserve to be thought of as one team that could go all the way.

European Championship Record

Year

Year

1960: Did not qualify

1984: Did not qualify

1964: Did not qualify

1988: Winners

1968: Did not qualify

1992: Semi-FInals

1972: Did not qualify

1996: Quarter-Finals

1976: Semi-Finals

2000: Semi-Finals

1980: Group Stage

2004: Qualified


The Matches

Date

Opponents

Venue

Comp

KO

15 Jun 04

Germany

Porto (Dragão)

ECF

1-1

19 Jun 04

Czech Republic

Aveiro (Municipal)

ECF

2-3

23 Jun 04

Latvia

Braga (Municipal)

ECF

3-0

26 Jun 04

Sweden

Faro-Loule

ECF

0-0

30 Jun 04

Portugal

José Alvalade (Lisbon)

ECF

1-2


The Squad

1 Edwin VAN DER SAR
2 Michael REIZIGER
3 Jaap STAM
4 Wilfred BOUMA
5 Giovanni VAN BRONCKHORST
6 Phillip COCU
7 Andy VAN DER MEYDE
8 Edgar DAVIDS
9 Patrick KLUIVERT
10 Ruud VAN NISTELROOY
11 Rafael VAN DER VAART
12 Roy MAKAAY
13 Sander WESTERVELD
14 Wesley SNEIJDER
15 Frank DE BOER
16 Marc OVERMARS
17 Pierre VAN HOOIJDONK
18 John HEITINGA
19 Arjen ROBBEN
20 Clarence SEEDORF
21 Paul BOSVELT
22 Boudewijn ZENDEN
23 Ronald WATERREUS