would be a disaster for the Dutch if they fail to qualify
for Euro 2016.
Ajax coach Frank de Boer says it would feel like a disaster if the
Netherlands were to fail to qualify for Euro 2016.
The Dutch sit fourth in Group A and will only qualify for the play-
offs if they win their remaining two games and third-placed
Turkey drop points along the way.
Danny Blind's national team travel to face Kazakhstan on
Saturday, before hosting the Czech Republic three days later
and De Boer has stressed that failing to turn things around
would be comparable to their inability to qualify for the 2002
World Cup.
"We have quality players to beat Iceland, to beat Turkey. I don't
want to call it a disaster, but it feels like it," De Boer told
Omnisport.
"We had a little bit the same in 1998. We reached the semi-final
of the World Cup, we reached the semi-final of the European
Championship in Holland. We were very disappointed we didn't
reach the final with the penalty shoot-out against Italy.
"Then you have one month off and then you have to start the
qualifying games. And before you realise it, you're five points
down.
"We had the same in qualifying for Japan and Korea, we had the
same experience. We played against Ireland and Portugal at
home and we lost five points, we lost and we drew, and we
never got over that.
"Maybe we weren't focused enough to be ready for that
tournament. If you drop points at the beginning against Iceland
then the pressure gets higher and higher. I think that's maybe
the biggest reason."
The Netherlands last failed to qualify for the European
Championship in 1984, only to win the tournament four years
later.
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