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Despite his not having managed any sleep since arriving on Brazilian soil, it was an alert, chatty, straight-talking and philosophical Bert van Marwijk who welcomed FIFA.com into his Rio de Janeiro hotel for an exclusive interview the night before the Preliminary Draw for the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014™ in July.
At the time, the Netherlands coach had not yet learned which teams would stand in the way of the Oranje gaining another shot at the world title in Brazil, after their quest in 2010 ended in a final-hurdle defeat at the hands of Spain. However, the Dutch national side’s impressive run since that landmark loss, as well as the secrets behind their success, provided some ideal alternative topics of discussion.
FIFA.com: Eleven months ago you stated that picking your team up after their loss in the FIFA World Cup Final in Johannesburg was your most pressing challenge. The results achieved since then prove that you have successfully negotiated that hurdle. Did you underestimate your squad’s ability to bounce back?
Bert van Marwijk: That’s a very good question. I don’t know if you remember, but just two weeks after our defeat by Spain, we had a friendly match scheduled in the Ukraine. I didn’t want to play the game, and we asked the Ukrainian FA to postpone it, but they weren’t willing to do that. I travelled there with a second-string side, and I wasn’t too excited about it. My own motivation was lacking, and I didn’t hide that fact. I think you should always be honest with your players, rather than pretending or disguising your feelings. You know, when you’ve just been knocked out of the last 16 or the group stage of a World Cup, you’re keen to get playing again to focus on something else. When you lose in the Final and you’re four minutes away from a penalty shoot-out, that’s not the case at all.
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The players that were part of the squad in South Africa had no motivation either, but since 2008 this team has learned how to win no matter the circumstances, whether they feel motivated or not. So yes, I’m happy to admit that perhaps I did underestimate this new faculty of theirs. After the match against Ukraine, the lads went back to their clubs and the new season kicked off, so they were in a much better physical condition when the qualifying matches for EURO 2012 came around.
Since then, your team has won all of their UEFA EURO qualifying games. What would you say is their new source of motivation?
I told them the same thing again and again during the World Cup: we have a mission. When I saw how calm my players were after beating Brazil, and that they remained just as focused as before, I realised they knew they had not yet completed their mission. I remember we’d arranged a little party to celebrate their win, and they said to me: “Not yet, coach”.
As far as this latest qualifying campaign is concerned, it’s different – I wouldn’t describe it as a mission this time around. The players put their finger on it. What’s motivating us now is a desire to draw lessons from the final that we lost, and to make the most of that experience. Everything was new for my players that night, and I can assure you they’ve learned from it.
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