1988 Euro Semi-Final – Netherlands 2–0 Denmark (Stuttgart)
Oranje: European champions in 1988, three-time World Cup runners-up.
The Netherlands national football team has represented the Netherlands in international men's football matches since 1905. The team is colloquially referred to as Het Nederlands Elftal or Oranje. They have won the UEFA European Championship once, in 1988.
Quick Facts
- Tournament
- UEFA Euro 1988 – Semi-Final
- Score
- Netherlands 2–0 Denmark
- Venue
- Stuttgart, West Germany
- Date
- June 1988
- Netherlands coach
- Rinus Michels
- Outcome
- Netherlands advanced to the final (won Euro 88)
Lore & Background
At the 1976 European Championship, the Netherlands reached their first European Championship. They lost to Czechoslovakia in extra time in the semi-finals, then finished in third place after defeating hosts Yugoslavia in extra time. At Euro 1988 in West Germany, the Netherlands won the final with a victory over the USSR, with a header by Ruud Gullit and a volley by Marco van Basten.
Reader's Guide
The Netherlands has competed in eleven FIFA World Cups, appearing in the final three times (1974, 1978, 2010), finishing as runners-up on all three occasions. They have also appeared in eleven UEFA European Championships, winning the 1988 tournament. The team has won bronze medals at three Olympic football tournaments (1908, 1912, 1920).
Did You Know?
- The Netherlands played their first international match against Belgium on 30 April 1905.
- Eddy de Neve scored three times in extra time in that first match, making the score 4–1.
- The team is known as Oranje after the House of Orange-Nassau and their orange jerseys.
- Their fan club is called Het Oranje Legioen (The Orange Legion).
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