"Cheeseheads vs Krauts": 30 Years of Enmity
From the desk of... L'Equipe
Translation: Bertrand Chardon
June 14, 2004
Germany vs The Netherlands is a war. The most angst-
and passion-filled fixture in Europe, possibly.
A quick historic overview of the official games the two
nations played against each other, just before the big Euro
2004 game in Porto...
Holland vs Germany: Rendezvous of
Hate
1974
World Cup final, Munich,
West-Germany.
West-Germany vs Netherlands 2-1 (2-1)
1' 1-0 Johan Neeskens (penalty), 26' 1-1 Paul Breitner
(penalty), 44' 2-1 Gerd Müller.
The game that can be regarded as the mother of all the
bitterness.
For the first time since the end of World War Two the two
nations face each other on the pitch in an official game. And
not just a game, but a World Cup final. The seemingly
invincible Dutch display their arrogance. Johan Cruyff is
the king of the tournament. The German have not even
touched the ball yet in the first minute as he wins a
penalty kick, powerfully hammered home by
Neeskens. Germany's enigmatic captain,
Franz Beckenbauer, tells the referee, Mr Taylor: "No
doubt you're an Englishman…"
The Dutch fail to decide the match early and the
Germans logically level the score on a doubtful penalty
kick, won by a diving Hölzenbein. Paul
Breitner drives the ball past goalkeeper Jan
Jongbloed. Just before half time Gerd Müller
scores one of his typical goals from close range, in
a 180 degree turn. The Dutch are paralyzed in the second
half. The trauma is beyond description. The best team in the
world has been defeated.
1974: Berti Vogts brings Johan
Cruijff down in the first minute.
Johan Neeskens would hammer home from the spot to make it
1-0.
After that it all went wrong... A trauma was
born.
Johnny Rep (Holland striker): "A perfect example of Dutch
arrogance. We were so focused on humiliating the
Germans… you should never think you can do that to
them."
Wim van Hanegem (Holland midfielder): "
I didn't give a damn about the score. 1-0 was enough, as long
as we could humiliate them. I don't like them. It's
because of World War Two. They murdered 80% of my
family. My father, my sister, two of my brothers. Each time I
faced Germany I was angst-filled."
Bernd Hölzenbein (Germany striker): "
If an English referee gives us a penalty you can be sure
it must have been a correct call… Before the match
we decided to look them in the eyes in the corridor to the
pitch, to show them we weren't afraid… Staring at them
I saw this feeling of invincibility they were filled with.
They seemed to be telling us: 'So lads, how many goals do you
want us to score?' I tried to look them in the eyes, but I
couldn't. They made us feel so small."
1978
World Cup, first round, Cordoba, Argentina
West-Germany vs The Netherlands 2-2
(1-1)
3' 1-0 Rudi Abramczik, 27' 1-1 Arie Haan, 70' 2-1
Dieter Müller, 84' 2-2 René van de Kerkhof
(84').
In spite of the '1974 rancour' the match remains rather calm
and clean. The Germans take the lead twice, but the
Dutch equalize twice and grab the draw, which at that
point was a better result for Holland than it was for the
Germans. Holland was, eventually, beaten once again
in the final by the tournament host, this time
Argentina.
1978: Holland defender Ruud Krol
tackles
Germany's Dieter Müller in Cordoba, Argentina.
Karl-Heinz Rummennige (Germany striker): "The
pressure was tremendous. The popular press was
blowing up the old rivalry. We knew that on the pitch the
Dutch were ready and waiting for us. We had to stay focused. I
think it's a true shame and pity that they regard football
as an outlet for their the hatred from the
Second World War."
1980
European Championship, first round, Napoli,
Italy
West-Germany vs The Netherlands 3-2
(1-0)
20' 1-0 Klaus Allofs, 60' 2-0 Klaus Allofs, 66' 3-0 Klaus
Allofs, 80' 3-1 Willy van de Kerkhof, 86' 3-2 Willy
van de Kerkhof.
There hardly is a match this time: Klaus Allofs
knocks Holland out on his own. In spite of two late goals
the Dutch players of coach Ernst Happel have to bow to the
Germans. This match is marked by sad
events: a punch-up between
Toni Schumacher and Huub Stevens and René van de Kerkhof
punching Bernd Schuster in the eye.
Horst Hrubesch (Germany striker): "My direct opponent never
stopped kicking and spitting at me. He even called
me a##hole!"
Karl-Heinz Förster (Germany midfielder): "Van de Kerkhof
called me a 'pig'.
Before the game we knew that it was going to be tense. We
had sworn to win, because that victory was so
important to our sense of pride. To them, beating is
the best thing there is. They hate us much more than we
hate them."
1988
European Championship, semi final, Hamburg,
West-Germany
West-Germany vs The Netherlands 1-2
(0-0)
55' 1-0 Lothar Matthäus (penalty), 74' 1-1
Ronald Koeman (penalty), 89' 1-2 Marco Van
Basten.
The game is extremely tense. Each team is given a penalty
kick strongly disputed by the opposition (until
today, in fact). The game gets nasty in the second half,
as Lothar Matthäus (the most hated German in
Holland) converts from the spot to give the hosts an
undeserved lead. Holland's triumph comes to stand in
the 89th minute, as Van Basten slides the second
Dutch goal against the nets. Germany is eliminated at
home. The eruption of ecstacy in The Netherlands is
historic: an estimated 70% of the population hits the streets
the celebrate in the largest spontaneous party
since the liberation by the Allies in 1945. The
victory is tainted by the behaviour of Ronald Koeman at
the end of the match: just after having swapped his
jersey with Olaf Thon he pretends to wipe his behind with
it in front of 60,000 German supporters and the TV cameras.
Nobody ever forgot that picture in Germany.
The most unforgettable moment in the life of almost every
Dutch football supporter.
Hamburg, 21 June 1988, 89th minute: Marco van Basten beats
defender
Jürgen Kohler and goalkeeper Eike
Immel.
Ronald Koeman: "1988 didn't erase 1974 from our memories. The
bitterness is still there. Before the match Rinus Michels,
who also coached the 1974 squad, told us about
that lost final, in order to motivate us. I regret what I
did after the match. It was an impulsive reaction,
the kind of stupid reaction that follows you for the rest
of your life. But for me that case is closed. As I never
met Thon again after that, I never had the occasion to
apologize."
Olaf Thon (Germany midfielder): "I woudn't say that there was
hatred, but tension between both teams. I haven't forgotten the
Koeman incident, when he provoked our supporters. I didn't have
a problem with him. I think he regrets it now. So to me
it's case closed. That kind of incident can happen when
you're overwhelmed by your emotions, like when the Dutch
beat us. I've forgiven Koeman, even though he never
apologized officially."
Hans van Breukelen (Holland goalkeeper): "I had been waiting
for that moment for fourteen years. Before the game I
remembered my feelings watching TV as a teenager, and
that boosted up my anger. I am happy to have been able to
give this gift to the older generation, the ones that
lived through the War."
Arnold Mühren (Holland midfielder): "We humiliated them in
front of their own supporters. Being able to do that at my age,
37 at the time... that's just priceless."
Ruud Gullit (Holland forward): "We gave joy to the older
generation. I saw their emotions, their tears. I could
never even have guessed that this could be so tremendously
important to them."
26 June 1988: A Dutch supporters'
banner welcomes German tourists at the border:
"You are now driving into the country of the European
champion."
1988
World Cup qualifier, Munich,
West-Germany
West-Germany vs The Netherlands 0-0
An amazingly quiet meeting on and off the pitch. Boring
game. The first ever 0-0 draw between the two
nations.
1989
World Cup qualifier, Rotterdam, The
Netherlands
The Netherlands vs West-Germany 1-1 (0-0)
68' 0-1 Karl-Heinz Riedle, 87' 1-1 Marco van Basten
(penalty)
The center of Rotterdam is a real battlefield before the
game. Around the main train station, later around De
Kuip stadiums, hooligans from both sides fight relentlessly for
hours. Injuries, people in jail, tension, bitter hatred; all
the bad ingredients are there. This is one of the darkest
nights in modern hooliganism. The hatred has now turned
into open xenophobia, the hunt for Germans is opened
in the streets of Rotterdam. Thanks to Marco van Basten's lucky
(and late) equalizer things remain rather quiet after the
game. There are no incidents on the pitch.
1990
World Cup, second round, Milan, Italy
West-Germany vs The Netherlands 2-1 (0-0)
51' 1-0 Jürgen Klinsmann, 85' 2-0 Andreas Brehme,
89' 2-1 Ronald Koeman (penalty)
Red Cards: Rudi Völler (West-Germany) and
Frank Rijkaard (The Netherlands)
The ugliest and most eventful game in the two
nations' shared football history. Before kick-off the Dutch
supporters shout down the German anthem with
boos and "Hup Holland Hup!" yells. The
Germans reply by chanting "Deutschland! Deutschland!"
during the Dutch anthem. The game is historically nasty. In the
first minutes of the match Adri van Tiggelen badly hurts
Pierre Littbarski. The tone's been set. Just before half
time Völler dives to the grass after contact
with a seemingly innocent Frank Rijkaard, who is
booked for it. An angry Rijkaard is angry and spits
in Völler's hair. The German shows it to the
referee, to which Rijkaard reacts by pulling the German's
hair. This time Völler gets a yellow
card.
The subsequent free kick doesn't yield anything, but
Völler is seen provoking goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen.
Rijkaard intervenes once again, pulls Völler's ear
and spits again, this time hitting the striker in the
neck. After a near punch-up between the two, both are
sent off. On his way to the dressing room
Rijkaard runs past Völler - and
spits again. In the catacombs the Dutchman
reportedly grabbed the German by the throat.
According to media reports a brief fistfight followed.
Germany, meanwhile, ends up winning the game, which can be
regarded as the climax of the hatred between the two
countries. Völler was suspended for one game, Rijkaard for
three.
Frank Rijkaard (Holland defender): "That day I was
wrong. There was no insult. I always had much respect for
Rudi Völler. But I went berserk when I saw that red card.
I talked to him after the match and I apologized. I'm very
happy that he accepted. I have no bad feeling about him now. We
even posed for a very funny advert together, years
after."
Rudi Völler (Germany striker): "Everybody was well aware
that one of the teams was going home after that game. And
regarding our old rivalry that just couldn't be accepted.
I sensed that the atmosphere was very tense. Fortunately
I never hear about that incident anymore. Now I'm
friends with Frank, even though it took some
time… We played each other in the Italian league
and we didn't have any problem. We actually were rather
friendly opponents. W
e talked about the incident later. Frank told
me he had big problems at the time, he was in the
middle of a divorce, he wasn't the real Frank Rijkaard. Today I
can say that he is a great person. I agreed to do
that Dutch advert, if only to bury the
hatchet."
1992
European Championship, first round, Göteborg,
Sweden
The Netherlands vs Germany 3-1 (2-0)
4' 1-0 Frank Rijkaard, 15' 2-0 Rob Witschge, 54' 2-1
Jürgen Klinsmann, 72' 3-1 Dennis Bergkamp.
The re-united Germany is outclassed by the Dutch. The
difference in quality between the two is obvious and there are
no incidents during the game. The relationship between the two
countries is getting better. But games between club
teams from the two countries remain tense and, frequently,
violent events.
1992: Rob Witschge fires a free
kick against the netting
in Göteborg, Sweden. Fifteen minutes have been played and
it's
2-0 to Holland. Was it ever as easy against the
Germans?
Source: L'Équipe / Translated for Ajax USA by
Bertrand Chardon
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