Footballer Marco van Basten: biography, career, personal life

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 Dutch national team striker 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 pretty famous football player, my mother professionally engaged in gymnastics. The future star of Dutch football was in the sports section right from the street. More precisely, Dad noticed that his son quite easily in street battles defeated his senior comrades, and decided to teach him to football.

What made Marco van Basten famous? The best goals in the history of world football belong to him. But let's talk about everything in order.

Beginning of a football career

The first steps in the football field, Marco van Basten did in the amateur club Elsnquiq. Later, on a thirteen-year-old boy, a well-known football expert Leo Beenhakker, who at that time headed the youthful composition of Rotterdam's Feyenoord, drew attention. But the father, who naturally took all the important decisions for the boy, decided that it was too early for him to leave his native city. For this reason, Van Basten Sr. rejected this rather tempting proposal. He explained to his son that he would definitely become famous in the future, but only speaking for "Ajax".

At the age of fourteen, the child had serious health problems. The attending physician prohibited him from doing football. Or, at least, significantly reduce the intensity of training. Father, understanding the state of the child, after a visit to the doctor suggested trying to forget this conversation. Marco believed his father. And he became one of the famous football players. However, at that time before that it was still very far away. And at that time the boy often woke up at night from severe pain in the area of the ankles.

In "Ajax"

And finally, my father's dream came true - the young Marco Van Basen went to the football field in the Ajax shirt. In those years in this famous Amsterdam club the great Johan Cruyff shone. It should be noted that in this debut for the young Dutchman match, which took place in the first days of April 1982 at the famous Amsterdam stadium "De Meyer", he replaced during the meeting with "Neymengenom" it was the highly experienced Cruyff. They say that the veteran himself asked the coach that instead of him on the field came out exactly Marco. Entering the field young talent, fully justified the confidence of older comrades becoming the author of one of the goals scored in this match. "Ajax" really became the team in which Marco from the young promising player turned into a dangerous attacker. He played his game horror on the players defense teams of opponents. In many ways he was helped by twenty lessons of football skills in the Johan Academy of Football, so many joint matches they had.

First successes

In the next season, the nineteen-year-old striker scores 26 goals and for the first time becomes the winner in the competition of the scorers of the national football championship. This happened in the now distant 1984. In the same year, there was another significant event in the life of the 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 best scorers of the Dutch football championship. In the 1986 season, 37 times struck the gate rivals, Marco for the first time in his football career becomes the owner of the "Golden Boots". And already in the next season he together with the team wins his first international trophy, becomes the winner of the Cup Cup tournament.
Having an amazing 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 excellent partners' programs. It is worth noting that he played with a game shell very elegantly, even if you can say so elegantly. In a word, it was an attacker from God. Marco van Basten scored goals very beautiful, spectacular. Many of them have forever entered into football history.

Moving to Italy

The next stage of the football career of this magnificent player was the move to Italy. There he decided to test himself in one of the strongest at that time Italian clubs, "Milan". For the rights to this magnificent master of the leather ball, then they were paid simply "ridiculous" by today's standards, money. Namely one million US dollars. For this amount Milan football club got a player who next year was named the best footballer in Europe. However, in his debut season as part of his new team, Van Basten played only eleven matches, scoring at the same time only three goals. But these were the best goals of Marco van Basten. They had a very great value. One of them is hammered into the goal of Empoli. He allowed his team to overtake the "Napoli", in which a football star sparkled like Diego Maradona. Another goal Marco van Basten flew into the gates of the most Neapolitan club. He even turned out to be gold, because he allowed "Milan" to win gold medals and a victory in the championship.

European Championship

At the European Championships, held in 1988 in magnificent German stadiums, the head coach of the national team of the Netherlands, Rinus Michels, in the first matches preferred to use more experienced attackers. But after three goals scored by Marco van Basten to the British, he radically changed the decision and bet on this striker. I must admit - he was not mistaken. This is confirmed by a magnificent goal, which Marco van Basten scored in the finals of the European Championships. The USSR will forever remember this tremendous blow, cutting 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 the world football history.

With "Milan" Van Basten 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, the UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. Three times Van Basten received the most prestigious football award "Golden Ball". His final match, this magnificent master held 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 ancient castle of Heatherlen, famous footballer Marco van Basten bound himself by marriage. His wife was Lisbeth van de Kappelen. They have two beautiful daughters - Jessica and Angela. The wedding ceremony was attended by relatives and friends of the newlyweds. Later the newlyweds were congratulated by the groom's comrades in the club.