100 Quotes by Marco van Basten

As a coach, I felt I couldn't offer what I should offer. That made things too difficult for me. It was specifically my problem. I couldn't do it. I kept suffering from stress. I was the one who needed to take the decisions. Everybody's looking at you. 'What, when, who, how and where?'

The friendlies are an opportunity to look at different players and tactics.

My first dream as a young boy was to be a gymnast and my first memory of football is of watching Ajax win the European Cup in 1971. It was a time when a great philosophy was being developed at Ajax, making rounded players who were there as a complete team rather than as 11 individuals.

I think my gymnastic background helped a great deal with my agility when I took up football seriously.

Whatever the situation, winning is always the most important thing.

I don't like friendly matches.

They abolished the off-side rule in field hockey and there were no problems.

It was great that Cruyff believed in me so much when I was taken on at Ajax. As a coach, Cruyff also had a clear vision, which enabled him to create a better team.

I worked hard at it, because I find being a coach a great and interesting job.