Van Bommel's Dutchmen flying into EURO
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
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Mark van Bommel tells UEFA.com the spirit in the Netherlands' camp can make his team "almost invincible" as they bid " to do things the Dutch way again" at UEFA EURO 2012.
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Mark van Bommel tells UEFA.com that strength in depth is an important characteristic of the Netherlands squad for UEFA EURO 2012 as they aim to surpass their achievements at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where they finished runners-up.
"We have a strong bench," said the 35-year-old midfielder, now returning to PSV Eindhoven after spells with FC Barcelona, FC Bayern München and AC Milan. "That was also the case during the World Cup, and everyone adjusted, almost in an un-Dutch way, and sacrificed themselves for the team. Everyone was thinking about the team: it doesn't matter if I don't play, as long as the team wins. And if you have that feeling in a team, then you are almost invincible."
Winners in 1988, the Netherlands are drawing great strength from that team ethic, together with their players' wealth of experience from the top European leagues. "It's always nice when we get together," said Van Bommel. "For us, it feels a bit like coming home. Everyone takes the culture of their foreign league with them to Holland. And we have to bring that together into a Dutch mix. We want to do things the Dutch way again."