Cristian Chivu is desperate to reach the UEFA EURO 2008™ quarter-finals but the Romania captain refuses to accept that his former AFC Ajax team-mates in the Netherlands camp will do him a favour by smoothing the Tricolorii’s progress.

Win needed
With the Oranje already through as Group C winners, coach Marco van Basten has admitted he may rest players against Romania at the Stade de Suisse on Tuesday. A victory would ensure Romania’s passage to a tie with Spain regardless of the result between France and Italy in Zurich, yet Chivu expects tough opposition in Berne whatever his Dutch connections.

No let-up
“It’s pretty difficult to say something like that because I know the Dutch game very well and I know what football means to them,” Chivu told euro2008.com. “They have waited a long time to play and win with this kind of attacking football. I don’t think they will relax at all. Even though they have qualified, they still want to win to show continuity in their results and they also want to be confirmed as favourites to win the trophy.” Chivu’s insight comes from his stay with Ajax between 1999 and 2003, when he captained a side featuring exciting prospects such as Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart.

Opportunity
Irrespective of the outcome against the Oranje, the centre-back insists the tournament has been a major success for Romania. Many pundits gave the Tricolorii no chance of a top-two finish in the group but draws against France and Italy have opened the door to the last eight and the 27-year-old is determined to emulate the Romania team that made the UEFA EURO 2000™ quarter-finals.

History beckons
“What we have already achieved is tremendous,” said the FC Internazionale Milano player. “If you had told me before the tournament that we would hold both France and Italy, I would have signed a sheet of paper and I would have been very happy. But now we have the chance to go through and I can see this team’s potential. I want this very much and so do my team-mates. This is the most important match for our generation and qualifying from this group would be a historic moment for Romanian football.”

Renowned for their ‘Total Football’ in the 1970s, the Netherlands’ impressive start to UEFA Euro 2008™ has got the Oranje faithful flooding into Switzerland full of belief and they are totally engrossed in the exploits of Marco Van Basten’s men.

Great success
‘Total Football’, the playing system pioneered by the Dutch, brought great success for Johan Cruyff’s Ajax FC in the 1970s and saw the Dutch national team reaching successive finals of the FIFA World Cup in 1974 and 1978. Following the Netherlands’ 3-0 win over Italy in their first match at UEFA EURO 2008™, as many as 50,000 Dutch fans are expected to take in the encounter with France tonight, and a third big screen has been installed in the city of Berne to cater for the influx of Oranje supporters.

Huge expectations
But are the Dutch fans getting too carried away with that victory against Italy and are they expecting too much? Is this really the Netherlands’ time to shine again or are we reading too much into one game? Tell us what you think.

The Netherlands and France may have played just one game so far in UEFA EURO 2008™ Group C, yet the moods in the respective camps could hardly have been more contrasting ahead of Friday’s meeting at the Stade de Suisse in Berne. While Netherlands coach Marco van Basten was doing his utmost to calm expectations following the superb 3-0 victory over Italy on Monday, his opposite number Raymond Domenech attempted to reassure French fans that the Les Bleus were ready to improve on their subdued goalless draw against Romania.

‘Start again’
Van Basten, a UEFA European Championship winner in 1988, is bidding to become the first man to clinch the title as player and coach and could not have enjoyed a better start against the world champions. Another victory would propel the Oranje into the last eight, but the former AFC Ajax and AC Milan striker is refusing to get carried away. “We played well against Italy but you don’t win the tournament after one match,” Van Basten said. “Instead of thinking already about the quarter-finals, we must get our feet back on the ground and start all over again against France, who are a very strong, experienced team.”

Robben return
The Netherlands are likely to adopt a similar formation to that which they deployed against the Azzurri when they meet the two-time winners, with Orlando Engelaar and Nigel de Jong protecting the defence and three support players operating behind striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. Monday’s triumph was founded on rapid counterattacks and Van Basten hopes for more of the same, saying: “If one team has to attack it’s France. We’ve already won a game so the pressure is on them.” Van Basten nevertheless possesses an enviable array of attacking talent – particularly after Arjen Robben returned to training on Thursday following his groin injury. “Robben is ready to face France,” confirmed Van Basten, who must now decide whether to stray from a winning formula.

‘Sparkling performance’
Domenech seems certain to make at least one change from the side held by Romania, with the fit-again Thierry Henry returning to lead the attack. The France coach had stumbled on the steps on his way to addressing the media, but quickly dismissed suggestions he was feeling anxious and insisted his players would not trip up on Friday. “We know what we have to do and we’ll try our best to get the three points,” the 56-year-old said. “Personally, I’m hoping for a sparkling French performance, but unfortunately I can’t predict anything. We build our side around a solid defence and the Dutch have outstanding attackers, so it should be a good, exciting match.”

Comparison
Similarities are already being drawn with France’s 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign – when they opened with a stalemate against Switzerland before reaching the final – and Domenech is convinced his team will again improve as the stakes get higher. “Feeling that danger and fear is important for top-level sportsmen,” argued Domenech, who would not reveal whether captain Patrick Vieira has recovered from his thigh injury. “It was always going to be a struggle and hopefully the situation will bring the best out of the players.”