Clarence Seedorf Pulls Out of Euro 2008: Selfish or Selfless?

While most players are desparate to be involved in Euro 2008 (see Gonzalez, Raul and Del Piero, Alessandro) Clarence Seedorf can take it or leave it. Apparently the Milan midfielder called Marco van Basten yesterday to tell the Dutch coach that he doesn’t want to be involved in Euro 2008. And so, just like that, Seedorf pulled out of the Netherlands provisional squad.

“Since my return to the national team, the right conditions have not been created to let me perform at my best and to effectively excel as the team member I always strive to be,” the 32-year-old Seedorf said in a statement. “We have seen from the past that some negative issues with the national team and players are recurring.”

I’m very very tempted to suggest that removing “as the team member I always strive to be” would make that first sentence a lot more accurate. But I won’t. Does seem that Seedorf likes to be the main man though, as opposed to the bit part player he is under MvB. And there was no need for that last line, which basically suggests that a lot of players are unhappy under MvB (not a huge secret, but still not helpful to say it.)

No doubt a player with Seedorf’s talents would have been immensely useful at Euro 2008. In many other national teams, he’d be first choice every time, but the Netherlands have the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart to call on. In many ways Seedord has done well to play himself into contention for a Euro 2008 spot at all. MvB basically ignored him from 2004 to late 2006, but was forded to recognize Seedorf’s excellent form with AC Milan with a recall. So Seedorf might regret pulling out of Euro 2008 just because he’s not getting the role he thinks he deserves. Especially at the age of 32. You only get so many international tournaments.

But there is another way to look at this. Talented Dutch squads of the past have been ruined by internal divisions, not least the sublimely talented Euro ‘96 squad that was divided down racial lines. That’s not how you win tournaments. Seedorf was part of that experience and has suggested that his withdrawl is intended to prevent any in-fighting and unrest caused by his situation.

“In no way do I want to bring tension into the team nor did I want to do anything that would have had a less than positive impact in helping the team excel during Euro 2008,” he said.

And so the big question: Is this the beginning of the Dutch squad unraveling again thanks to a selfish player who thinks he’s bigger than the team? Or is this a selfless preventative measure by a player who knew he’d cause trouble and so put the team before himself?

More on Seedorf’s decision at Netherlands World Cup Blog.