The Dutch football federation is currently working on a plan to develop their football after their recent poor results.
Indeed, the Dutch football team has not succeeded in qualifying for the Euros, and it seems that the trend will continue for the next few years with a lack of world-class footballers coming up.
It is difficult to think that a team that finished third at the last World Cup has experienced such a decline, but there are various reasons for that. First of all, there might be a sense complacency around the team thinking that they are already at the top.
Secondly, it appears also that they have also been a decline in the quality of their players. Two of their best players at the last World Cup Robin Van Persie and Wesley Sneijder are playing in the Turkish league while Arjen Robben seems to be a player that is past his best.
The Dutch federation admitted that there is a problem with the development of new players and that there need to be corrective measures taken. Indeed, the Netherlands were once recognized for their model of football development, but it seems that their approach is no longer working.
For this reason, the Dutch Federation has sought the input of international coaches such as Arsene Wenger and Arrigo Sacchi. They have also sought inputs from youth coaches as well as the players themselves in order to devise a strategy for player development.
The Dutch federation has said that it would take time to see the fruits of the changes and that fans will have to be patient even if this means that they would not qualify for the next World Cup. The changes will have to start at the grassroots level, and it will take time before it translates to the senior team.