Real Madrid

The first stage of the Euro is about to finish and after two matches the Netherlands have already clinched a spot in the quarterfinals. Ruud Van Nistelrooy sat down with sports daily Marca to discuss the future of the Orange in the competition.

What's the Netherlands' secret?
That's what I've been asking myself. What is happening to Netherlands? We've got a great feeling right now. I don't know what happened. It's amazing. We played well against Italy. France gave us a bit more trouble. We all work hard to try to steal the ball and we have several alternatives in attack.

Are the Netherlands one of the favorites to win the Euro?
Let's see. We have to have fun right now, but we know we're top in the group and that gives us a lot of confidence. We have to be focused in the quarterfinal because you lose and you're out. It's only one match and it can be dangerous. Everyone has their eye on our team because we're an attractive squad with a lot of offensive players, but we have to prove it in every match.

Have you seen Spain play?
Spain are playing very well and have obtained two great scores. I hope we don't have to play Spain because they're a strong side.

Do you like the way they play?
Of course. It's a but like our style. There are always high hopes of doing great things, but they rarely manage to win. Spain are like us; they want their luck to change. We both want to win and I think we're talking about two great national teams who play good football. 

Are Netherlands the rival to beat after defeating Italy and France?
That's doesn't mean a thing. There are still matches to play. Everything changes in the quarterfinals. We have to continue with confidence, but anything can happen in a match. One bad day or a little mistake sends you home. There are no favorites.

Is your squad going to take its foot off the gas against Romania so that France and Italy are knocked out?
We're the top team in the group and we've shown that we always play to win. We don't plan on losing against Romania. You may think that we don't want Italy or France to go through, but that's not the case. We defend our orange shirt, and that's all that matters. We cannot let our fans down. Thousands have come to see us and they deserve to enjoy the way we play.

Is one the Netherlands' secrets that its three Real Madrid players transmit winning values?
Yes. The three Madridistas are playing well, but the success can be attributed to the entire team. There's a great atmosphere. It's true that there's an advantage to having three Real Madrid players on and off the pitch. We're all friends and know each other well.

Did you think qualifying for the next round would be more difficult? 
I did, but we are very confident and we've proved it in our matches. We're not scared of anyone. We've played two matches in the most difficult group and managed to make it through. What's we've achieved is fantastic. We just have to continue doing what we're doing.

Have you spoken to Cannavaro_ 
Of course. What a disaster. I feel so sorry for him because he was left out of the good part after two years of qualifying matches.