The 1974 World Cup final is remembered as a national tragedy for the Netherlands.
No, it isn’t overkill to say that.
In fact, in ‘Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football’, David Winner says: ”The events of Munich, 7 July 1974 are burned into the Dutch psyche in the way that Dallas, 22 November 1963 haunts America.”
The Game
It was a sleek, star-studded Dutch side. Names such as Johan Cruyff, Wim van Hanegem and Johan Neeskens, kitted out in their iconic orange strip, coached by the legendary Rinus Michels.
Groups stage wins over Brazil, East Germany and Argentina saw the side progress to the final, where they would play West Germany in Munich.
Everyone expected Holland to win.
German winger, Bernd Hölzenbein recounted: ”While we waited to go on to the pitch, I tried to look them in the eye, but I couldn’t do it. They made us feel small.”
The whistle blew, and it was clear who the better side were, everyone’s expectations were seemingly coming to fruition.
Just two minutes in, Cruyff picks the ball up in the centre circle. He easily glides towards the goal, the German’s unable to stop him.
A flailing leg brings him down and referee Jack Taylor points to the spot. The technical superiority of the Dutch is already clear to see.
The penalty is calmly slotted home by Johan Neeskens.
The Dutch are 1-0 up, in a World Cup final, just two minutes into the game, and the Germans haven’t even touched the ball yet.
But then, in a shocking turn of events, the Netherlands don’t push for a second goal.
Instead they play arrogant, showboating football, keen to show just how good they are and how completely out of their depth the German side is.
In the 25th minute West Germany win a penalty of their own, converted by Paul Breitner.
‘Der Bomber’, Gerd Müller makes it 2-1 in the 43rd minute, before grabbing another in the second half – his second, however, was wrongfully called offside.
The game ended 2-1. West Germany had shocked the Dutch, and the world. This outstanding Dutch side had failed to win on the biggest stage.
Commentator Herman Kuiphof summed up the nation’s shock with just one line: ”They tricked us again.”
Outwardly the Dutch celebrated their team, there was a parade for the side when they returned home, and fans were quick to praise their stars.
Inwardly however, there was heartache for the players, the fans, and the nation.
What happened?
So why had this Dutch side fallen at the last hurdle?
Why had they been so keen to showcase their technical superiority?
How had this capitulation happened to such a talented group of players?
There are two main ideas that many attribute to this loss. One revolves around the hangover and anger from the war, the other is to do with dirty tactics from the German media and a phone call from an angry Danny Cruyff (Johan Cruyff’s wife), that many consider to have changed the course of Dutch football history entirely.
Hangover from WW2
As is the case for many European nations, there was a palpable anger against Germany and what had occurred during the war.
On the 10th of May 1940, the Battle of the Netherlands began. A German effort to invade the nation to its north-west. By the 14th of May, Dutch forces began to surrender and by the 17th, Germany had completed its occupation of the whole country.
And so, the contested viewpoint exists that the events of World War Two, the stories the players had been brought up hearing, and the pain caused to a nation took over in that game.
Playing against Germany, in Munich, the Dutch players would have felt it was their duty to win.
And not only to win, but to humiliate their opposition.
Some believe that this flooded the minds of the Dutch, and by making this event more than just a game of football, they forgot that it was exactly that – just a game of football.
Cruyff, Champagne, and Nude Women
The other major reason given for the loss was a story released by German media outlet ‘Bild’, the night before the showdown.
The headline read: ”Cruyff, Champagne, and Nude Women.”
It was alleged that four players from the Dutch national team had gone swimming, naked, with local women before their group stage match against Brazil.
The authenticity of the story is still disputed. The accompanying photo was one of the empty hotel pool, and (of course) no Dutch player has ever come forward to confirm the story.
Regardless of whether it was true or not, many believe it had a detrimental effect on the Dutch side.
Some deny this claim – Ruud Krol for example, said: ”of course we read the article, but we remained focussed on the final. It’s very simple. The German journalists were trying to help their own team.”
Even to this day, there is a wealth of various explanations for the event and the effect it had, ranging from flat out denial, to claims of hyperbole, to the belief that the events are what ultimately thwarted the side.
However, star-man Cruyff felt the effects in full force. His name featuring so heavily in the headline (despite the players involved never being disclosed), ultimately resulted in him spending the entire night before the final on the phone to his wife.
The potential drama that this would have put in the Dutch camp, alongside the way it will have impeded the game preparation of the players – particularly Cruyff – is what many consider to be the reason for the slip-up on the final day.
Cruyff never played in a World Cup again. Some claim this was due to a kidnapping attempt on his family in Barcelona, however, others believe that it was these events that ultimately resulted in his withdrawal from the competition.
Final Thoughts
It will be impossible to ever know the true reason for the capitulation of the Dutch side. Whether it be post-war hangover, dirty German media tactics, or something else entirely, we will never know.
It could, of course, have just gone wrong for the side on the day. As Roberto Mancini would go one to say almost 50 years later: ”anything can happen in 90 minutes.”
But the fact remains that the Dutch are still yet to ever win a World Cup.
And this, was probably the best chance they had ever had.