Germany and Netherlands football rivalry

The Netherlands national football team has rivalry with the Germany national football team that dates back to the 1974 FIFA World Cup, where the Netherlands lost to Germany in the final despite being favoured.

In the semifinal of the 1988 UEFA European Football Championship, played in Hamburg, Germany, Marco van Basten slid the winning goal in the last minute past the German keeper. After the game Ronald Koeman of the Netherlands pretended to wipe his backside with Olaf Thon's jersey, something he regretted later which caused relations to worsen between the two sides. Many Dutch fans celebrated, singing "In 1940 they came - in 1988 we came".

There was also the game in the Round of 16 in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, where the Netherlands' Frank Rijkaard spat a number of times on Rudi Völler, with Völler being accused of diving. Both players were sent off. Germany went on to claim victory thanks to Jürgen Klinsmann and Andreas Brehme's goals [ [http://www.ajax-usa.com/desk/cheeseheads-vs-krauts-30-years-of-enmity.html "Cheeseheads vs Krauts": 30 Years of Enmity] , "Ajax-USA.com", June 14, 2004] , and eventually became World Champions.

When the Dutch failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, Germans fans often rejoiced with singing "Without Holland we're going to the World Cup". In the 2006 World Cup documentary "Deutschland. Ein Sommermärchen", the early elimination of the Dutch team is illustrated by showing an Autobahn sign "Netherlands, exit right". After the elimination of Germany in Euro 2004, Dutch supporters went to the German fan zone and hung up a sign saying "Zimmer Frei" ("Open vacancy" in German). The Dutch supporters are also known to chant "Jetzt geht los" to the German side, meaning "It's about to go down".

In the recent years, many of the Netherlands' more prolific younger players have plied their trade in the Bundesliga at one time or another including Rafael Van der Vaart, Joris Mathijsen and Nigel de Jong (Hamburg), Mark van Bommel (Bayern Munich) and Khalid Boulahrouz (VfB Stuttgart).

Notable matches

Friendly match, 1956, first match between the two teams since World War IIfootballbox
date = March 14, 1956

team1 = fb-rt|FRG
score = 1–2
team2 = fb|NED
goals1 = Van der Hart 77' o.g.
goals2 = Lenstra 52', 72'
stadium = Düsseldorf, Rheinstadion
Attendance: 39,000
Referee: Reginald Leafe (England)----Final, 1974 FIFA World Cup footballbox
date = July 7, 1974
16:00
team1 = fb-rt|NED
score = 1–2
team2 = fb|FRG
goals1 = Neeskens 2' pen
goals2 = Breitner 25' pen
Müller 43'
stadium = Munich, Olympiastadion
Attendance: 75,200
Referee: Jack Taylor (England)----Second group stage, 1978 FIFA World Cup footballbox
date = June 18, 1978
16:45
team1 = fb-rt|FRG
report = [http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/pwc/mr_2348.html (Report)]
score = 2–2
team2 = fb|NED
goals1 = Abramczik 3'
D. Müller 70'
goals2 = Haan 27'
R. van de Kerkhof 84'
stadium = Córdoba, Estadio Chateau Carreras
Ref: Gordon (Scotland)
Attendance: 25,050

----

Semi Final, Euro 88footballbox
date = June 21, 1988
team1 = fb-rt|FRG
score = 1–2
team2 = fb|NED
goals1 = Matthäus (p) 55'
goals2 = R. Koeman (p) 74' van Basten 88'
stadium = Volksparkstadion, Hamburg Attendance:61,330 Referee:Ioan Igna (Romania)----Second round, 1990 FIFA World Cupfootballbox
date = June 24, 1990
21:00
team1 = fb-rt|FRG
score = 2–1
team2 = fb|NED
goals1 = Klinsmann 51'
Brehme 82'
goals2 = R. Koeman 89' pen
stadium = Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, MilanRef: Juan Loustau (Argentina)
Attendance: 74,559----Group stages Euro 1992 footballbox
date = June 18, 1992
team1 = fb-rt|NED
score = 3–1
team2 = fb|GER
goals1 = Rijkaard 4'
Witschge 15'
Bergkamp 72'
goals2 = Klinsmann 53'
stadium = Nya Ullevi, GöteborgRef: Pierluigi Pairetto (Italy)
Attendance: 37,725----Group stages Euro 2004 footballbox
date = June 15, 2004
team1 = fb-rt|NED
score = 1–1
team2 = fb|GER
goals1 = Van Nistelrooy 81'
goals2 = Frings '31
stadium = Estádio do Dragão, PortoRef: Anders Frisk (Sweden)
Attendance: 48,197

Literature

*cite book |last= Hesse-Lichtenberger |first= Ulrich | title= Tor! The Story of German Football |year= 2003 |publisher= WSC Books |location= |isbn=095401345X
*cite book |last= Schiweck|first= Ingo |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Kicken beim Feind? - Der ganz alltägliche Friede hinter dem deutsch-niederländischen Fußballkrieg |year= 2006 |publisher= MaveriX|location=Düsseldorf |isbn=ISBN 978-3-9810957-4-6
*cite book |last= Winner |first= David |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Brilliant Orange |year= |publisher= |location= |isbn=
*cite journal |last= Houtum |first= Henk van |authorlink= |coauthors=Frank van Dam |year= 2002 |month= |title= Topophilia or Topoporno? Patriotic Place Attachment in International Football Derbies|journal=International Social Science Review |volume= 3 |issue= 2 |pages=231–248 |id= |url= |accessdate= |quote=

Footnotes