Saturday, 29th March, 2014
Holland legend Ruud Gullit is fretting about the current state of Dutch football, pointing out that both Christian Eriksen and Viktor Fischer are not Dutch, but were both imported into Ajax from Scandinavia.
Ajax sold Eriksen to Tottenham Hotspur last summer and the Denmark international has quickly impressed in the Premier League. Fischer meanwhile is considered a natural successor of sorts and has himself been attracting much interest.
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Dutch football is renowned for its production of young talents, who then make the grade in the Eredivisie and are sold on to bigger, foreign leagues.
But Gullit does not feel the system is working.
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"In 1974 there was a playing style and philosophy which we introduced into the world, and got people thinking", he told De Telegraaf.
"What you saw was a development in which the Dutch ideas formed the basis and vision of many foreign managers and coaches. They added all their own ideas in about strength and fitness, and brought together the best of both worlds.
"Meanwhile, we stand still.
"Yet we continue to boast about our training and what the philosophy should be. Whilst in practice, many foreign talents of around 16 have been discovered.
"That's why I have a problem with the idea that guys like Eriksen and Fischer, who have cost millions of euros are products of our training.
"Just like all those young players who are breaking through at AZ and who really come from Scandinavia and have not been formed by Alkmaar at a young age."
Gullit now wants to see Dutch football go back to the spirit of the 1970s, when they tried to compete with the bigger countries boasting a David and Goliath view.
"Dutch football should therefore become hungrier. Just like in the seventies when David had to compete against Goliath and thus had to invent lots of clever things."
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