Nama-nama ini cukup sinonim dengan skuad Belanda yang terkenal dengan jersi berwarna oren serta gelaran "The Oranje".
Malah Belanda juga mempunyai reputasi sebagai negara yang mempunyai akademi bola sepak yang sistematik dan melahirkan ramai bakat-bakat besar dalam bola sepak.
Kini Belanda alami krisisnya yang tersendiri apabila buat kali pertama gagal melayakkan diri ke pusingan akhir Kejohanan Eropah sejak 1984.
Berada sekumpulan bersama Republik Czech, Iceland, Turki, Kazakhstan dan Latvia, tiada siapa menyangka skuad bimbingan Guus Hiddink yang kemudiannya diterajui Danny Blind gagal jelma reputasi sebagai pilihan dalam pusingan kelayakan.
Siapa dapat menduga lima kekalahan dalam sepuluh perlawanan termasuk dua kali kepada Iceland membuktikan apa sahaja boleh berlaku dalam bola sepak moden.
Manakala negara-negara yang dahulu dianggap "kerdil" seperti Wales, Ireland Utara, Albania dan Iceland bukti kemampuan dengan merebut slot ke Perancis tahun hadapan.
Satu ketika dahulu mereka punyai generasi emas, hanya Kejuaraan Eropah 1988 yang dapat menghadirkan gelaran tunggal mereka di peringkat antarabangsa.
Nyata kini satu tugas sukar buat Blind untuk pulihkan maruah Belanda dengan fokus seterusnya sudah pasti kelayakan ke Piala Dunia 2018 di Rusia jadi keutamaan.
Namun tidak dinafikan Kejohanan Eropah 2016 pastinya sedikit janggal dengan ketiadaan kelibat skuad The Oranje serta penyokong-penyokong setia mereka.
Syamil Izwan Azizan
Wed Oct 14 2015


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