It is generally accepted that there are no ideal players in nature. But if they did exist, one of the first on this list would be the striker of the Dutch national team Marco van Basten. He was born on the last day of October 1964 in the small Dutch town of Utrecht, in a sports family. His father was a rather famous football player, his mother was professionally engaged in gymnastics. The future Dutch football star hit the sports section right from the street. More precisely, dad noticed that his son defeated older comrades quite easily in street battles, and decided to accustom him to football.
What is famous for Marco van Basten? The best goals in the history of world football belong to him. But let's talk about everything in order.
The beginning of a football career
Marco van Bastin made his first steps in the football field at the Elsnkvijk amateur club. Later, the famous football specialist Leo Beenhakker, who at that time headed the youth team of the Rotterdam “Feyenord”, drew attention to the thirteen-year-old boy. But the father, who, of course, made all the important decisions for the boy, decided that it was too early for him to leave his hometown. For this reason, Van Basten Sr. rejected this rather tempting offer. He explained to his son that he would certainly become famous in the future, but only speaking for Ajax.
At the age of fourteen, the child had serious health problems. The attending physician forbade him to play football. Or at least significantly reduce the intensity of your workouts. The father, understanding the condition of the child, already after visiting the doctor suggested trying to forget this conversation. Marco believed his father. And he became one of the famous football players. True, at that moment this was still very far away. At that time, the boy often woke up at night from severe pain in his ankles.
In Ajax
And finally, his father’s dream came true - the young Marco Van Basen took to the football field wearing an Ajax T-shirt. In those years, the great Johan Cruyff himself shone in this famous Amsterdam club. It should be noted that in this debut match for the young Dutchman, which took place in early April 1982 at the famous De Meer stadium in Amsterdam, he replaced precisely the highly experienced Cruyff during the meeting with the Nijmegen. They say that the veteran himself asked the coach that it was Marco who entered the field instead. Stepping on the field a young talent, fully justified the trust of senior comrades by becoming the author of one of the goals scored in this match. “Ajax” has truly become the team in which Marco from a young budding player has turned into a dangerous striker. With his game, he terrified the defense players of the opposing teams. Twenty lessons of football prowess at the Johan Football Academy helped him a lot, and it was just so many joint matches that they held.
First successes
The following season, a nineteen-year-old striker scores 26 goals and for the first time becomes the winner in the national football championship scorers competition. This happened in the now distant 1984. In the same year, another significant event happened in the life of a young striker. According to the results of the championship, he was awarded the Silver Boot.
In the next three seasons, he wins from year to year in the dispute of the top scorers of the Dutch football championship. In the 1986 season, 37 times hitting rivals, Marco for the first time in his football career won the Golden Boot. And already in the next season, he, together with the team, wins his first international trophy, becomes the winner of the Cup of Cup tournament.
Armed with tremendous coordination, adding to this a wonderful vision of the field, the young striker not only repeatedly sent balls to the opponents' goal, but also often supplied his partners with excellent passes. It is worth noting that he handled the projectile very gracefully, even if elegantly so to speak. In a word, it was an attacker from God. Marco van Basten scored goals very beautiful, spectacular. Many of them fit into football history forever.
Relocation to Italy
The next stage in the football career of this great player was moving to Italy. There he decided to test himself as part of one of the strongest at that time Italian clubs “Milan”. For the rights to this magnificent master of a leather ball then simply "ridiculous" money was paid by today's standards. Namely, one million US dollars. For this amount, the Milan football club received a player who was named the best player in Europe next year. True, in his debut season, as part of his new team, Van Basten played only eleven matches, scoring only three goals. But these were the best goals of Marco van Basten. They were of very great value. One of them is hammered in Empoli's gate. He allowed his team to overtake Napoli, in which a football star such as Diego Maradona sparkled. Another goal by Marco van Bastin flew into the gates of the Neapolitan club itself. It turned out to be gold at all, as it allowed Milan to win gold medals and a victory in the championship.
European Championship
At the European Championships in 1988 at magnificent German stadiums, the head coach of the Dutch national team Rinus Michels in the first matches preferred to use more experienced strikers. But after three goals scored by Marco van Bastin to the British, he radically changed his mind and made a bet on this striker. Admittedly, he was not mistaken. This is also confirmed by the magnificent goal scored by Marco van Basten in the European Championship finals. The USSR will forever remember this terrific blow, which cut off hopes for the championship of millions of Soviet fans. Later, this goal will be recognized by football experts as one of the most beautiful in world football history.
With “Milan” Van Basten has achieved great success and won many prizes and a variety of football titles. In this list, a special place is occupied by the Champions Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup. Three times Van Basten received the authoritative football award "Golden Ball". This magnificent master spent his final match on May 26, 1993 on the field of the Munich Olympic Stadium in the presence of 60,000 spectators.
Personal life
In June 1993, not far from his hometown, in the halls of the old Heiserlen castle, the famous football player Marco van Basten tied the knot. His wife was Lisbeth van de Kappeleven. They have two wonderful daughters - Jessica and Angela. The wedding ceremony was attended by relatives and friends of the newlyweds. Later, the bride and groom were congratulated by the comrades in the club.