About a month ago, I wrote a little something about this year’s FIFA World Cup. I had predicted a final between Spain and Brazil. This is one of the very few occasions where I can happily say, I was wrong! I was delighted that our Dutch football team managed to make it all the way to the final game of the World Cup. I hoped feverishly that we would win this game as well and finally put the ghosts of the past to rest. Unfortunately, we all know how it ended. We lost our third World Cup final in the last minutes of the game yesterday. Admittedly, Spain is the deserved winner as they displayed the better football.

Before this tournament started, nobody had dared to dream of reaching the final game. Now, a day after losing, we can’t even be happy with finishing second. Bitter disappointment followed a few pretty exciting weeks. Sadly, a potential new football trauma has arrived to haunt our collective memories. I didn’t plan on writing this entry about our loss. I didn’t want to; what happened in South Africa, stays in South Africa! However, I couldn’t ignore the downcast atmosphere in the office. It’s quiet. So, so quiet. Everyone is getting on with their work in silence. It’s as if an unspoken agreement has filled the office; please don’t mention the football game!

We’re disappointed. We struggle to accept a second place. We came to win and we almost did! Nonetheless, I think our football team are heroes! They did well to get this far and for about a month, they succeeded in uniting roughly 15 million people. Everyone seemed to put aside their differences in opinions and supported our boys in South Africa. For about a month we were one, a collective, and ever so slowly we started to believe in a fairy tale ending.

I’m sure our players will be received in a deafening roar of cheers and applause during their homage in Amsterdam tomorrow. And rightly so. Being the number two in the world is quite an achievement, even though admitting defeat leaves a bitter taste.

What a damn shame we didn’t quite make it!

Whoa? What?!

I wonder if there’s anyone reading this who remembers the 1996 Euro Cup; the happenings around the Dutch national team in particular. It took me a little while to find it, but let me show a photo that, hopefully, refreshes a bit of memory.

Actually, this is only a partial photo, but it shows the bits that I want to show. You’ll see the coach standing at the table of players in front. There’s a few tables to the left and right that have been cut out of this picture. The important thing to notice however, is the table at the back. Look at it for a second. Then look at the first table again. Noticed something yet? No? Okay, maybe I’ll have to drop a hint. Look at the skin colour of the players in front and then of the players at the back table. Oh!

This photo resembles everything that was wrong with the Dutch team in 1996. I was reading through a newspaper article that looked back on our (mis)adventures on previous Euro and World Cups and this was given a lot of attention. As far as I understood it wasn’t a matter of racism that was going on, merely that there was a group of players within the group of players. The players of the smaller group were unhappy and frustrated about earning less wages than the others. Mind you, this had nothing to do with the Dutch national team, but problems they brought with them from their clubs. The point is, things weren’t talked about until too late. Tempers frayed, things were said and it went so far that one of the players was sent home by the coach.

Reading through the newspaper article, I recognized the situation. I was sharply reminded of a recent event in my own life. I’ve made an extensive post about that already, so I won’t go into that again. The point being though, situations will never get better if people let their frustrations build up. There will come a point where the volcano blows, so to speak. In my not so humble opinion it’s a lot better to talk to each other well before that point is reached.

Anyone who follows the news related to Formula One will have heard about the return of a living legend: Michael Schumacher decided to make a comeback in F1 and continue a most impressive career. It’s funny how despised he was while he was actively driving for Ferrari and how jubilant people are to see him return to the sport. I have read many interviews saying it will be good for F1 with Schumacher back on the grid and only a very few skeptical ones.

I have followed Formula One for many seasons now. I think I started to watch back in 1993. As a small child I have always had a love for Ferrari; I still have a fairly impressive collection of model cars to prove it! When I first saw a Formula One race on TV and figured out those red cars were Ferrari’s, I’ve been following and cheering for them ever since.

Having Michael Schumacher drive for Ferrari and win 5 world championships with them, it is a slight disappointment to see him return in a Mercedes; Ferrari’s biggest rival over the last decade! That said, I hope he performs well and that he’s still capable of winning races. I have always admired his ambition and determination to win and to keep winning. Sure, he’s got some black smudges on his record, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive!

Even though I will still be cheering for Ferrari and hoping the reds take the championship home to Italy, I am still going to keep my eye on Schumacher and hope he will do well and claim some victories. Imagine him returning to Formula One and completely dominating the entire season again! I wonder how long it will be before all the positive noises will turn into good, old fashioned grumbling about him claiming all the victories…