Opportunity keeps knocking for Boulahrouz
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Article summary
Having gone from the reserve list to the first XI in a matter of days, Khalid Boulahrouz is enjoying his unlikely starring role in a great Dutch campaign so far.
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On loan
The Chelsea FC defender, who has been playing on loan at Sevilla FC in Spain, twice thought his UEFA EURO 2008™ dreams had been dashed. First he was left out of Marco van Basten's provisional squad for the finals, only to be drafted in later to prove his worth. The 26-year-old then missed the final cut but was surprisingly called up again as a replacement for Ryan Babel after the Liverpool FC forward was forced to withdraw with torn ankle ligaments.
Odd circumstances
Boulahrouz's Lazarus act continued as he was named in the starting lineup in the Netherlands' opening Group C game against Italy. Deployed to neutralise the threat of Antonio Di Natale, he did a fine job as his side won 3-0 and is now in line for another starting place against France on Friday. "I am fit and feel good, and that is what I told Van Basten [at the start of the tournament]," he told euro2008.com. "What did surprise me was that I was called up in the first place, after only playing six times with Sevilla this season, and the fact that I replaced Babel, who is a striker, in the final selection as well."
Steady thinking
The fates have dealt him some unlikely cards, but the former RKC Waalwijk and Hamburger SV man is taking things in his stride, and enjoying himself. "We have done a good job and made an excellent start, so the spirit and belief have increased. We just have to keep on working towards the France match the way we did before the Italy game. We may have beaten the world champions, but we have not achieved anything yet. We will only see at the end what we have managed."
Press euphoria
The Dutch are understandably keeping a brake on talk of quarter-final qualification in the light of some euphoric write-ups in the papers back at home. Algemeen Dagblad said of their opening game: "That's how to grab the Euro title." De Telegraaf added: "Against the odds, Van Basten managed to get through to the players, who turned themselves into what looked like a real fighting machine." De Volkskrant wrote: "Magnificent. In a real classic the sparkling Oranje crushed the blue of world champions Italy who were left reeling by the Dutch passing game." The bar has been set pretty high by Boulahrouz and Co.
