• Home
• History
• Archives
• Fixtures
• Teams
• Stadiums
• Contact

Subscribe

Babel Out Of Euro 2008

Just days after being included in the final Dutch squad for Euro 2008 (kicking off this coming week), Ryan Babel has been forced to withdraw from Marco Van Basten’s side after tearing ankle ligaments in training earlier today. As a Liverpool fan I would be hoping there’s no long-term damage to Babel’s ankle given his performances for the club this season gone.

No replacement has yet been announced though is expected over the course of the weekend (or at least after the Welsh friendly game in Rotterdam).

Holland find themselves in Group C for this summer’s competition alongside France, Italy and Romania. Babel, however, will have to settle for watching the games from the stands. Here’s to a speedy recovery.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Hiddink Cuts Ivanov, Pavlenko

Oleg Ivanov and Alexander Pavlenko have been cut from Russia’s preliminary 25-man squad as Guus Hiddink annouced his final 23-man squad for the European Championships earlier.

Not to be hard done by, Hiddink (if still in the Russian hotseat come the start of the Premier League campaign in England in August) has suggested Ivanov and Pavlenko will both be used to their full ability for the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign at the end of the summer.

Russia’s 23 man squad looks like this…

Akinfeyev, Malafeyev (Zenit St Petersburg), Gabulov (Amkar Perm); Ignashevich, Berezutsky, Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Anyukov (Zenit St Petersburg), Kolodin (Dynamo Moscow), Yanbayev (Lokomotiv Moscow); Bilyaletdinov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Zhirkov, Semshov (Dynamo Moscow), Torbinsky (Lokomotiv Moscow), Bystrov (Spartak Moscow), Zyryanov (Zenit St Petersburg), Shirokov (Zenit St Petersburg), Semak (Rubin Kazan); Arshavin, Pogrebnyak (Zenit St Petersburg), Pavlyuchenko (Spartak Moscow), Sychev (Lokomotiv Moscow), Adamov, Saenko (Nurnberg).

While Hiddink is one of the favourites to replace the recently-fired Avram Grant at Chelsea, reports coming from his agent suggest there’s no chance he’ll accept the role at Stamford Bridge. In fairness, I wouldn’t blame him as well. It would be a shame to see a manager of his calibre ditched after just one season in the league if he failed to produce a league title or European glory. We all know that’s what would happen anyway, right?

Popularity: 19% [?]

Dutch Squad Announced For Euro 2008

Marco Van Basten knows he’s packing his bags after Euro 2008 but that’s not stopping the focus on Euro 2008 by any means, with Van Basten naming a strong side for next month’s competition.

Chelsea’s Khalid Boulahrouz misses the cut for the 23-man squad with the likelihood that Mario Melchiot will be well mended by the time the first game kicks off. It’s good to see Liverpool’s Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt confirmed in the squad, Kuyt making his way back into the international fold while Babel has had a relatively good debut season for the Reds. Celtic’s Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink should be firing on all cylinders too having lifted the Scottish league title recently.

The Holland boys can look forward to friendlies this week against Denmark (Thursday) and Wales at the weekend.

The Dutch squad in full for Euro 2008 reads as follows…

Goalkeepers: Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Henk Timmer (Feyenoord)

Defenders: Wilfred Bouma (Aston Villa), Tim de Cler (Feyenoord), John Heitinga (Ajax Amsterdam), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg), Mario Melchiot (Wigan Athletic), Andre Ooijer (Blackburn Rovers)

Midfielders: Ibrahim Afellay (PSV Eindhoven), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), Orlando Engelaar (Twente), Nigel de Jong (Hamburg SV), Wesley Sneijder (Real Madrid), Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburg), Demy de Zeeuw (AZ Alkmaar)

Forwards: Ryan Babel (Liverpool), Klaas Jan Huntelaar (Ajax), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Arjen Robben (Real Madrid), Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (Celtic).

Popularity: 24% [?]

Copyright © 2007 - 2008 Football Access Blog Network | No Association With UEFA