Sneijder: "Semis? We're going for gold!"
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
This past season Wesley Sneijder
was one of the main attractions on the European pitches.
With Inter he won everything, but he's not finished
yet. "I've come here for gold," Sneijder says
half a week before Holland's first game of the 2010
World Cup in South Africa.
One of Holland's main players outs
his ambition with a purpose. "First of all I really
believe in it. I don't think that it's appropriate to
say that the semifinals would be really nice. I believe
we as a group should express a desire to win this. We
have to have that feel, all of us. And believe me, we
have."
He won the league, the Italian
Cup and the Champions League this season with Inter.
He'll be 26 on Wednesday and doesn't deny that he feels
a bit invincible at the moment. "It started when
we survived the group stages of the Champions League
with Inter. We all felt it couldn't go wrong anymore.
Our coach José Mourinho has played a role in
that of course."
He's clear about his own feelings
as well. "I'm bursting with confidence. In a way
I haven't experienced before. Perhaps a little bit two
years ago, during the European Championships. But the
group has progressed since then. More experience, more
players with European top sides. I will not say it's
now or never, but it is the right moment for this group."
"We've been playing together
for five or six years now. We have a perfect mix of
young and old players. That's how long we've been looking
for this perfect result. It has to happen now."
"Look at our practice games.
We wacked the Hungarians in a way you rarely see at
international level. Through some stretches we played
excellent football. And I am not the only one who has
had a good season. Many of the other guys did very well
as well. We have a lot of quality and physically we've
progressed from where we were two years ago.
Two years ago Holland played some
great games at Euro 2008. Especially going forward the
level was great. "I think we can top that. We've
grown. That beautiful football is part of our style.
You can compare it with Barcelona, who are perhaps the
only club at the highest level who always go forward.
But that's not a goal in itself. I didn't mind if we
get an ugly final. As long as we win."
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