A few weeks before its 47th edition, from 1st to 15th June, the Maurice Revello Tournament goes back in time. Since 1967, thousands of players have trodden the Festival’s pitches. Among them, nearly 2000 became international within the sixty-five different nations who have taken part in the competition. To travel through the Tournament’s fifty years of history, each one marked by some famous football players at their debuts, we have imagined twelve dream teams, country by country. Sixth best XI, Netherlands.
Maarten Stekelenburg (2001) : The slender goalkeeper (1,97 m) started his international career during the Maurice Revello Tournament 2001. The famous Ajax goalkeeper, where he played nearly 300 games, also wore Roma, Monaco and Everton shirt and earned 58 caps.
Grégory Van der Wiel (2007) : The first games of the defender under the Oranje colors took place during the Maurice Revello Tournament 2007. He was then an Ajax player, where he used to play for six seasons and won two Eredivisie titles, before to join Paris Saint-Germain and Fenerbahçe. He played 46 games with the national squad.
The Netherlands team during the Maurice Revello Tournament 2007 with Van der Wiel (number 8)
Joris Mathijsen (1999) : Before being called-up 84 times with Oranjes, the defender made his debut at the international stand during the Maurice Revello Tournament 1999. After six seasons at Willem II, Mathijsen flew out to AZ Alkmaar and Hamburg, where he played more than 200 games in five years. With the national team, he was runner-up of the World Cup 2010.
John Heitinga (2001) : The rich career of the defender started on the Maurice Revello Tournament 2001 pitches, during which he was named as the third best player of the competition. What happened next was also successful : nine trophies, including two Eredivisie titles with Ajax, some seasons at Atletico and Everton, 87 national caps and a World Cup final in 2010.
The Netherlands team during the Tournament 2001 with Stekelenburg (goalkeeper) and Heitinga (number 4)
Giovanni Van Bronckhorst (1996) : If he only finished 9th of the Maurice Revello Tournament 1996, the left-back had a successful career. Under the Feyenoord, Rangers, Arsenal and Barcelona shirt, he clinched sixteen trophies, including a Champions League. The finalist of the World Cup 2010 is also the fifth most-capped player in the Dutch national team history with 106 games.
Ronald Koeman (1982) : After he finished third of the Maurice Revello Tournament 1982, the famous midfielder had a huge career. He won four Dutch league titles, two Champions League with PSV and Barcelona, a Champions League top scorer title in 1994 and the Euro 1988 with the Nertherlands shirt that he wore 78 times. He also clinched several national titles as a player and as a manager.
Ronald Koeman during the Tournament in 1982
Mark Van Bommel (1997) : In 1997, the midfielder finished at the bottom of the Maurice Revello Tournament table. Nothing to disturb a career rich in success, as he was four-time champion of the Netherlands with PSV and also won the Liga and a Champions League with Barcelona, two Bundesliga with Bayern and a Serie A with AC Milan. He earned 79 caps and took part in the World Cup 2010 final with the national squad.
Dirk Kuyt (1999) : In 1999, the striker finished fifth of the Maurice Revello Tournament. We know what happened next : 300 games, a FA Cup title and a Champions League final with Liverpool, two Turkey and Netherlands titles with Fenerbahçe and Feyenoord, and a World Cup final in 2010 with the Oranje shirt that he wore 104 times.
Dirk Kuyt during the Tournament in 1999
Jeremain Lens (2007) : The winger was playing for AZ Alkmaar when he took part in the Maurice Revello Tournament 2007. After he won the title in 2009, he joined PSV and won the national cup, before to win the double (league and cup) with Dynamo Kiev in 2015. He played for Sunderland, in Turkey as well, and 34 games with the national team.
Jeremain Lens against Ghana during the Maurice Revello Tournament 2007
Roy Makaay (1996) : The Europe top scorer in 2003 competed in the Maurice Revello Tournament in 1996. Known for his impressive efficiency, the striker netted more than 300 goals in his professional career, especially with La Coruña and Bayern Munich. In Spain and Germany, he won five trophies, including a Liga and two Bundesliga. He also scored the quickest goal ever in the Champions League history after ten seconds of play against Real Madrid in 2007.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (2001) : The forward took part in the Maurice Revello Tournament in 2001. He became after a world class striker, scoring nearly 400 goals during his career. The second top scorer in the Netherlands national team history with 42 goals in 76 games also won several times the top scorer title of Dutch and German leagues.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar against the French defender Gael Givet during the Tournament 2001
The Netherlands best XI in the Maurice Revello Tournament history :
Stekelenburg - Van der Wiel, Mathijsen, Heitinga, Van Bronckhorst - Koeman, Van Bommel - Kuyt, Lens - Makaay, Huntelaar
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Mathieu Lauricella