MARY HANNIGANon the woes of the Netherlands sextet in Madrid. Only Arjen Robben continues to impress, while one, Royston Drenthe, is actually afraid to turn out for the club
WHEN THEY signed Klaas-Jan Huntelaar from Ajax in January for €20 million (rising to €27 million if he proves to be a success) Real Madrid brought to six the number of players from the Netherlands in their squad, prompting one online dictionary to tweak their entry: “A Dutch club based in the Spanish capital . . . basically the Dutch national team, just with better defenders”.
Most of them were signed by German Bernd Schuster, Juande Ramos’s predecessor as Madrid manager, but with the team trailing Barcelona by 10 points in La Liga and most of the sextet experiencing a miserable time of it at the club, Madridistas are beginning to view their presence as something of a Dutch curse.
So, man by man, how are they faring? Ruud van Nistelrooy (signed from Manchester United, €18 million, July 2006): He had a near perfect first season for Madrid, finishing as top scorer with 25 goals, helping them to the La Liga title. He also equalled Hugo Sanchez’s league record for the longest consecutive scoring streak (seven games).
Last season he scored 20 goals in 32 appearances, and was rewarded with a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2010. In November, though, he was ruled out for the rest of this season – and perhaps longer than that – with a knee injury.
Royston Drenthe (signed from Feyenoord, €14 million, August 2007): When he came on as a sub for Madrid against Deportivo La Coruna last month a section of his own supporters booed him – that’s how bad things have been for the 21-year-old full back.
Last week Ramos revealed Drenthe had asked to be left out of the squad for the previous three games because “he’s suffering from anxiety”, a condition honorary club president Alfredo di Stefano suggested might be eased if he “cut his hair and took off the earrings”. There’s already talk of Drenthe returning to Feyenoord in the summer.
Wesley Sneijder (signed from Ajax, €27 million, August 2007): After a successful first season it’s all gone a bit pear-shaped for the 24-year-old midfielder, who puts much of his woes down to an injury he suffered in a friendly against Arsenal last August.
He hasn’t been happy, either, playing on the left wing, preferring a more central role, but so mixed has been his form of late he’s not even convinced he deserves a place in the side.
“When I go home after a game, I think to myself, ‘God, Wesley, what are you doing? You have to play better the next game’. I don’t deserve to be a part of the staring XI, I honestly believe that. I’m very annoyed with myself. I don’t feel happy at all.”
Arjen Robben (signed from Chelsea, €36.55 million, August 2007): Of the currently fit Dutch players at Real Madrid Robben is, by some distance, the biggest success. An indication of his standing was the relief expressed by Ramos after last weekend’s victory over Sporting Gijon the team was capable of winning without him.
“For sure Robben is playing at a great level,” he said, “but the feeling had been created that we had a dependence on him, a lot of talk of ‘Robben-dependence’ – they have shown they can play well and win well without him.”
Robben missed the Sporting Gijon game with a muscle strain but is expected to be fit for the first leg against Liverpool.
Rafael van der Vaart (signed from Hamburg, €13 million, August 2008): Hamburg coach Martin Jol suggested last week van der Vaart might rejoin the club that only sold him to Madrid last summer.
“A return is just out of the question,” the player replied, but having failed to convince Ramos he’s worthy of a regular place, an early departure might be on the cards.
“It is not easy getting used to being a substitute because throughout my career I have played almost every week,” he said. “And here, several months after arriving, I find myself on the bench.”
Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk has said he is far from happy with the attacking midfielder’s lack of playing time at Madrid.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (signed from Ajax, January 2009): “We want Cristiano!” shouted some of the club’s supporters at Huntelaar’s signing ceremony last month, not the most encouraging of welcomes for the 25-year-old striker who was brought in to replace the injured van Nistelrooy.
It got worse. Madrid had to choose between Huntelaar and midfielder Lassana Diarra for their Champions League squad for the knock-out phase of the competition – they chose Diarra.
“I can’t stand this situation anymore. They have neither included me for the Champions League nor do they want to play me in La Liga. Juande does not have any confidence in me. I want to leave Madrid. I can’t bear this,” he was quoted as saying last week.
He subsequently insisted he was happy to stay, but that Dutch curse might be preying on his mind.
