Netherlands coach Marco van Basten said Friday that the news
of the death of Khalid Boulahrouz's daughter had brought his team closer
together ahead of Saturday's Euro 2008 quarter-final clash with Russia in
Basle.
The child was born prematurely in a Lausanne clinic on Wednesday but died
shortly after.
"I think it was a very special problem for the team. Everyone was very
concerned," said van Basten.
"But I think the team is only becoming better. Yesterday he said he was finished
with it. 'It is over now, I have to look forward. You can fully count on me.'
That was what he said to me."
Midfielder Rafael van der Vaart said that while Boulahrouz's plight had
affected the team, everyone was now fully focused on winning the Henri Delaunay
trophy for the first time since 1988 in Munich, when van Basten was one the
scorers in a 2-0 victory over the Soviet Union.
"It has been difficult but now we have to talk about the game," he
said.
Boulahrouz was a starter in all three Dutch group matches which they won
against world champions Italy (3-0), France (4-1) and Romania (2-0).
Van Basten said that the Dutch players will wear black
armbands to mark Boulahrouz's daughter's death, dpa reported.
...