Experience counts in coaches' contest

Pre-match storm
A downpour before kick-off accounted for more than a few slips in the colourful pre-match closing ceremony but as the game began both sets of players were firm footed, though it did not stop Ryan Donk and Arnold Kruiswijk from testing the Serbia back line with some awkward early balls. It was all, of course, orchestrated by De Haan. A ship docked in the canal that lines one side of the stadium bears the name "Voorwaarts Voorwaarts" (forwards, forwards), and that seemed to be the message from the Netherlands coach as he perched beneath an umbrella by the dugout. Meanwhile Djukić stood a lonely vigil in the technical area wearing his jacket, hood pulled up tight around his face, apparently undaunted by the surge of orange sweeping around the Euroborg.

De Haan tribute
That sea began rising in waves on 17 minutes when Otman Bakkal held off Antonio Rukavina to break the deadlock. It silenced the chants of "Srbija, Srbija", replaced by Dutch cries of "Campeones" but while De Haan allowed himself a wry smile, he was not joining in. One of Europe's longest-serving top-level trainers had seen it all before. Twice named Netherlands coach of the year, he became the longest-serving club coach in Dutch history before ending a 12-year spell at SC Heerenveen to take up the U21 post in 2004. De Haan's departure at Heerenveen was marked by him being named knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau, an acclaim that looked unlikely when he began coaching in 1974 as an assistant trainer at VV Akkrum, combining the role with his job as a PE teacher.

Serbia response
An eight-year-old Djukić would have been too young to have even been one of his pupils then, yet his achievements as a libero in 13 years with RC Deportivo La Coruña and Valencia CF eclipsed De Haan's own playing days. The 41-year-old was never renowned for his goalscoring ability, but would have hoped to do better than Duško Tošić midway through the first half when the centre-back failed to connect properly with a header from point-blank range. Aleksandar Kolarov then rattled the upright with a free-kick and Serbia continued to press after the interval, though they failed to make it pay.

Maldini mark
The rain stopped, and De Haan emerged from beneath his umbrella to urge his team to defend higher up the pitch. They responded and Ryan Babel soon made it 2-0 with a side-footed finish that left his coach doing high-fives on the touchline. He began looking to the heavens when Maceo Rigters added another, and by then Serbia were down to ten men after Kolarov had been sent off. Djukić achieved the seemingly impossible against Sweden in the play-offs when his side overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit, but there was no repeat. Damir Kahriman saved a Babel penalty and Dragan Mrdja reduced the deficit six minutes after coming on as a substitute but Luigi Bruins made it 4-1 leaving De Haan needing one more triumph to match former Italy coach Cesare Maldini's record of three U21 trophies.