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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 realized 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 that 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.

Back at AZ his lack of form continued and he was quite surprised when HSV Hamburg knocked on the door just before the transfer deadline.

"I understood that HSV wanted to pay the transfer fee AZ asked, but they were too late. There was no time to draw up the contract before midnight. It meant another big disappointment. After that I discussed matters with my girlfriend and with the people close to me. After that game against the reserves of FC Groningen I started to fight back."

The result was he made it back into the first team of AZ who went on to beat PSV (1-0) and then excelled against Heracles (3-0), Willem II (5-2) and Sparta (6-0).

So he was a happy man when Holland manager Bert van Marwijk called his name after De Jong had indicated he had to be replaced.

"It's a shame for Nigel of course, but I was happy with that early chance to come on. I really want to start against Norway, because it is still my main goal to play in a foreign league one time. But I am not the only player to have a dip after a very good period. The only thing that counts now is to come back even stronger."

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