What went wrong for the Netherlands in qualifying

The Netherlands' qualifying campaign ended as it started – with defeat by the Czech Republic. This time, though, there is no second chance.

Tuesday's 3-2 home loss in Amsterdam was entirely symptomatic, the Oranje failing to find a route back into the contest having fallen behind. They never did get over a 2-1 reverse in Prague last September.

Guus Hiddink was in charge back then having taken over from Louis van Gaal, mastermind of the third-placed finish at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The now Manchester United manager had successfully used a 5-3-2 formation, but Hiddink attempted to revert to the more classically Dutch 4-3-3. The players could not adapt, Hiddink was dismissed and Danny Blind took over.

However, there was no way back and the Netherlands will now miss out on a UEFA European Championship for the first time in 32 years.

"I am completely empty, physically and mentally," said captain Wesley Sneijder. "We had to win, but you cannot make mistakes like this. That says a lot and is the truth. It is over and out. Us not qualifying is a collective failure by the players and the staff."

Wolfsburg striker Bas Dost, who only made his senior debut in the 1-1 draw with Turkey in March, is better equipped than most to gauge the feeling of the nation. "I am now with the national team, but in recent years I was a supporter," he told UEFA.com. "I can understand that everyone really is mad now. The whole nation feels bad and we will need time to get over this."

Despite the despair, hope can be drawn from what happened after the Dutch failed to qualify for the 1984 final tournament. A barren period was predicted, but just four years later the Netherlands won the trophy in Germany.

Things can change quickly in football. Sneijder, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben are all in the autumn of their careers and Oranje supporters must now wait for the likes of Memphis Depay to fill their shoes. First, though, this needs to sink in.