Current FIFA innovation manager Marco van Basten spoke to the NOS at KNVB headquarters in Zeist about the current state of the Dutch football federation.

  • By James Rowe
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Van Basten believes that the KNVB should continue with the good facets of Dutch football especially in terms of youth development and league structure but that they must also adopt gradual changes along the way .

He said, ”Lately there has been much written and said about the KNVB which has been negative. Like what people have been doing to FIFA where it is easy to criticize.

”As I was growing up and became big in football the Netherlands missed the World Cups in 1982, 1986 and the European Championship in 1984. It’s a wave movement where you sometimes have a good generation.

”We are in a situation where we have missed a big tournament and there is the threat that we may miss another. I stand by the following that the organization in Dutch football is good and the training and development too. Talents are come through the system. I believe that there is no land better which is so well organized as us in terms of youth football and league format. But we are no Germany that can call on their 85 million population where they have more choice.

”We must keep doing what we have done before and bring in gradual change. We must not go from one end of the spectrum to another overnight which I feel we have been advocating lately because I do not believe that is useful in my opinion.”




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