The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years.
Following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions in 1976, the Dutch Under-21 team was formed. The team did not have a very good record, failing to qualify for nine of the fifteen tournaments. The team did not enter for the 1978 competition, but since then has reached the semi-finals twice, and qualified for the last eight on three other occasions.
Since the under-21 competition rules insist that players must be 21 or under at the start of a two year competition, technically it is an U-23 competition. For this reason, the Netherlands' record in the preceding U-23 competitions is also shown. The first competitive match was in the "Under-23 Challenge", a match which they lost. The team qualified for the last eight of each of the three U-23 tournaments.
In 2006 the Netherlands national under-21 football team of coach Foppe de Haan won the 2006 European Under-21 Championship. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar became top scorer and player of the tournament with four goals, and also broke the all-time goalscoring record of 15 goals previously held by Roy Makaay and Arnold Jan Bruggink, in his last match with the team as he pushed this record to 18 goals. The following year, Netherlands national under-21 football team successfully defended their title by winning the 2007 European Under-21 Championship in the final against Serbia with 4–1. Maceo Rigters was the top scorer of the competition with four goals and Royston Drenthe was the Player of the Tournament. The win meant that the Netherlands qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The team failed to qualify for the 2009 European Under-21 Championship, after losing out to Switzerland in their final qualifying match.
[edit] UEFA U-23 Championship record
The Netherlands were randomly chosen to play cards Bulgaria for the title in a one-off match in Sofia, which the Netherlands lost.
- 17 April 1968: Bulgaria 3–1 Netherlands.
- 1972: Losing quarter-finalists.
- 1974: Losing quarter-finalists.
- 1976: Losing semi-finalists.
[edit] UEFA U-21 Championship Record
Serbia and the Netherlands enter on to the field for the final of the
2007 tournament.
- 1978: Did not enter.
- 1980: Did not qualify. Finished 3rd of 3 in qualification group.
- 1982: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 3 in qualification group.
- 1984: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 3 in qualification group.
- 1986: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 4 in qualification group.
- 1988: Losing semi-finalists.
- 1990: Did not qualify. Finished 3rd of 4 in qualification group.
- 1992: Losing quarter-finalists.
- 1994: Did not qualify. Finished 5th of 6 in qualification group.
- 1996: Did not qualify. Finished 3rd of 6 in qualification group.
- 1998: Fourth.
- 2000: Finished 3rd of 4 in finals group. Joint fifth.
- 2002: Lost in playoff.
- 2004: Did not qualify. Finished 4th of 5 in qualification group.
- 2006: Winners
- 2007: Winners
- 2009: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 5 in qualification group.
- 2011: Lost in Playoff against Ukraine.
[edit] Notable players
[edit] Current squad
| 0#0 |
Pos. |
Player |
Date of Birth (Age) |
Caps |
Goals |
Club |
|
GK |
Marco Bizot |
March 10, 1991 (1991-03-10) (age 20) |
|
|
 SC Cambuur |
|
GK |
Sergio Padt |
June 6, 1990 (1990-06-06) (age 21) |
|
|
 K.A.A. Gent |
|
DF |
Patrick van Aanholt |
March 19, 1990 (1990-03-19) (age 21) |
|
|
 Wigan Athletic F.C. |
|
DF |
Lorenzo Burnet |
January 11, 1991 (1991-01-11) (age 21) |
|
|
FC Groningen |
|
DF |
Virgil van Dijk |
July 8, 1991 (1991-07-08) (age 20) |
|
|
FC Groningen |
|
DF |
Kelvin Leerdam |
June 24, 1990 (1990-06-24) (age 21) |
|
|
Feyenoord |
|
DF |
Stefan de Vrij |
February 5, 1992 (1992-02-05) (age 19) |
|
|
Feyenoord |
|
MF |
Leandro Bacuna |
August 21, 1991 (1991-08-21) (age 20) |
|
|
FC Groningen |
|
MF |
Jordy Clasie |
July 27, 1991 (1991-07-27) (age 20) |
|
|
Feyenoord |
|
MF |
Lerin Duarte |
August 11, 1990 (1990-08-11) (age 21) |
|
|
Heracles Almelo |
|
MF |
Leroy Fer |
January 5, 1990 (1990-01-05) (age 22) |
|
|
FC Twente |
|
MF |
Maikel Kieftenbeld |
June 26, 1990 (1990-06-26) (age 21) |
|
|
FC Groningen |
|
MF |
Adam Maher |
July 20, 1993 (1993-07-20) (age 18) |
|
|
AZ |
|
MF |
Ben Rienstra |
June 5, 1990 (1990-06-05) (age 21) |
|
|
Heracles Almelo |
|
FW |
Nacer Barazite |
May 27, 1990 (1990-05-27) (age 21) |
|
|
 FK Austria Wien |
|
FW |
Ola John |
May 19, 1992 (1992-05-19) (age 19) |
|
|
FC Twente |
|
FW |
Luciano Narsingh |
September 13, 1990 (1990-09-13) (age 21) |
|
|
SC Heerenveen |
|
FW |
Alex Schalk |
August 7, 1992 (1992-08-07) (age 19) |
|
|
NAC Breda |
|
[edit] Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up for the team in the last 6 months.
| Pos. |
Player |
Date of Birth (Age) |
Caps |
Goals |
Club |
Latest Call-up |
| GK |
Jeroen Zoet |
January 6, 1991 (1991-01-06) (age 21) |
|
|
RKC Waalwijk |
v. Austria, October 6, 2011 |
| DF |
Daley Blind |
March 9, 1990 (1990-03-09) (age 21) |
|
|
AFC Ajax |
v. Austria, October 6, 2011 |
| DF |
Ties Evers |
March 14, 1991 (1991-03-14) (age 20) |
|
|
De Graafschap |
v.  Luxembourg, September 6, 2011 |
| DF |
Jeffrey Gouweleeuw |
July 10, 1991 (1991-07-10) (age 20) |
|
|
SC Heerenveen |
v.  Scotland, November 14, 2011 |
| DF |
Johan Kappelhof |
August 5, 1990 (1990-08-05) (age 21) |
|
|
FC Groningen |
v. Austria, October 6, 2011 |
| DF |
Bram Nuytinck |
May 4, 1990 (1990-05-04) (age 21) |
|
|
N.E.C. |
v. Austria, October 6, 2011 |
| DF |
Kaj Ramsteijn |
January 17, 1990 (1990-01-17) (age 22) |
|
|
Feyenoord |
v. Luxembourg, September 6, 2011 |
| MF |
Marco van Ginkel |
December 1, 1992 (1992-12-01) (age 19) |
|
|
Vitesse |
v. Scotland, November 14, 2011 |
| MF |
Ricky van Haaren |
June 21, 1991 (1991-06-21) (age 20) |
|
|
Feyenoord |
v. Austria, October 6, 2011 |
| MF |
Davy Pröpper |
September 2, 1991 (1991-09-02) (age 20) |
|
|
Vitesse |
v.  Sweden, August 10, 2011 |
| FW |
Steven Berghuis |
December 19, 1991 (1991-12-19) (age 20) |
|
|
FC Twente |
v. Austria, October 6, 2011 |
| FW |
Jerson Cabral |
January 3, 1991 (1991-01-03) (age 21) |
|
|
Feyenoord |
v. Austria, October 6, 2011 |
| FW |
Luc Castaignos |
September 27, 1992 (1992-09-27) (age 19) |
|
|
 F.C. Internazionale Milano |
v. Luxembourg, September 6, 2011 |
| FW |
Género Zeefuik |
April 5, 1990 (1990-04-05) (age 21) |
|
|
N.E.C. |
v. Austria, October 6, 2011 |
|
[edit] See also
[edit] Sources/External links
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| Overview |
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| International |
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| Leagues |
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| Cups |
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| Tournaments |
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| Qualification |
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| Squads |
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