NETHERLANDS COACH:
Marco van Basten

His fabulous career cut short by a severe ankle injury, Marco Van Basten eventually turned to coaching. The three-time European Player of the Year played with Elinkwijk and Ajax in his native Netherlands, but forged his international reputation along with Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard with the legendary A.C. Milan teams of the late eighties and early nineties.

Van Basten, called "San Marco" and "The Swan of Utrecht," scored 276 goals. Perhaps his best and most memorable goal was his volley in the Euro '88 final triumph over the Soviet Union.

Born on October 31, 1964, Van Basten could have scored more had it not been for his recurring ankle problems. He officially retired in 1995. He said he would never go into management, but he couldn't stay away from the game. He started out as an assistant coach with Ajax's second team in 2003-04, and was named Dutch coach on July 29, 2004. Van Basten said he would select players only on the merits of their performance and he stuck with his word, although he certainly shook things up by not calling in such well-known players as Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert, and benching Edgar Davids, who had forged a reputation as the best all-around defensive midfielder on this planet. It worked, as the Dutch team has been rejuvenated and qualified for Germany 2006 after missing out four years prior.