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"The intellectualisation
of football has
always foundered
on a simple problem-
-the players. Doing
all your most
rewarding thinking
with your feet seems
to dull the philo-
sophical impulse.
Unless, of course,
you are Dutch.
According to legend,
Europeans played
a moronic, muscular
version of the world's
game, until Holland
proclaimed its vision
of total football in the
1974 World Cup,
and enlightenment
dawned."

From:
Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football
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Demy de Zeeuw: "It's a long run that never turns"

Tuesday 14 October 2008

Last month Demy de Zeeuw was so badly out of shape that on a Monday night he had to go and play with the reserves of AZ against the reserves of FC Groningen.

On Wednesday he will very likely be a starter for Oranje when they play Norway in Oslo.

"Guess that is how it goes in football," he says about a remarkable tour past highs and lows.

But there are plenty of nice moments in the life of of a professional football player, he found Monday afternoon.

While those who didn't play on Saturday had to work hard on the training ground the ones who did could relax in the autumn sun, joking around while lying on the grass after a relaxed training session.

A bottle with an energizer at hand.

"You see, it's a long run that never turns," he says when he's reminded of that away game with the AZ reserves to FC Groningen.

"During that bus trip I realised that I had to change course dramatically. After that I trained even harder and fortunately now I am of value again both to AZ and to the national team. I guess I needed that trip."

For a long time there had been no time for reflection for the unknown player from the GA Eagles who almost won the league with AZ.

"Everything worked after my move to Alkmaar. I took it for granted and didn't realize I wasn't making any progress any more. Unconsciously I wasn't sharp and thought it would all work out by itself."

A few good games at Euro 2008 should have opened the gates to some European top side.

But closely before the start of the tournament he lost his place to Nigel de Jong.

"I read in the newspaper tha De Jong was physically stronger than I was. I would have preferred to have heard that from Marco van Basten. But I believe that Heitinga also never received an explanation as t o why he had lost his place. John also said he wasn't happy about that."

De Zeeuw played one game in Switzerland, with the B-team against Rumania.

 


De Zeeuw speelde in Zwitserland alleen met de B-keus van Oranje tegen Roemenië. Terug bij AZ worstelde hij in de voorbereiding van het huidige seizoen opnieuw met zijn vorm. De verrassing was ook groot toen Hamburger SV zich vlak voor het verstrijken van de transfermarkt voor De Zeeuw in Alkmaar meldde.

"Ik heb begrepen dat Hamburger SV de prijs van AZ best wilde betalen. Maar ze waren te laat. Het contract kon niet meer voor twaalf uur in de nacht worden opgesteld. Dat betekende weer een grote teleurstelling. Ik heb vervolgens veel met mijn vriendin en de mensen om mij heen gesproken. Na die wedstrijd met Jong AZ tegen FC Groningen ben ik pas echt begonnen met terugknokken."

De Zeeuw won vervolgens met de hoofdmacht van zijn club van PSV (1-0) en excelleerde tegen Heracles (3-0), Willem II (5-2) en Sparta (6-0). De blijdschap was groot toen bondscoach Bert van Marwijk zaterdagavond tijdens het duel met IJsland zijn naam riep nadat De Jong naar zijn gekwetste knie had gegrepen.

"Jammer voor Nigel natuurlijk, maar ik was heel blij met die snelle invalbeurt. Ik wil woensdag uiteraard ook heel graag tegen Noorwegen beginnen, want ik heb mijn doelstellingen nog steeds niet veranderd. Ik wil nog steeds eens in het buitenland voetballen. Ik ben gelukkig ook niet de enige speler die na een goede periode in een soort van dal terechtkomt. Het enige wat nu telt is om nog sterker terug te komen."


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