Van Marwijk at ease with Dutch expectation
Monday, January 30, 2012
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With the Netherlands among the sides tipped to challenge at UEFA EURO 2012, Bert van Marwijk says his team "shouldn't shy away from" the pressure if they are to go far in Poland-Ukraine.
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FIFA World Cup runners-up in 2010 and one of the first countries to qualify for UEFA EURO 2012, the Netherlands are among many people's favourites to lift the Henri Delaunay Cup in Poland and Ukraine this summer.
Such expectation is no great surprise for coach Bert van Marwijk, who, having taken over in July 2008, last month signed a four-year contract extension. "You need to be able to handle it well," he told UEFA.com, "and I also find it is part of top-level sport that you put pressure on yourself – you shouldn't shy away from it."
Drawn in arguably the toughest group of all – Group B, a section containing Denmark, Germany and Portugal – Van Marwijk knows his squad still have much work to do, particularly after recent defeats by Sweden and Germany, which sandwiched a goalless draw with Switzerland. "Sometimes you have surprises, but the last two matches made our vulnerability clear and that it isn't certain we will become European champions."
