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The Generals in Germany

As one of the greatest strikers ever, his on-field movements were compared to ballet dancers. And a goal he scored -- a volley from an unthinkable angle against Russia -- to give Holland the 1988 UEFA European Championship in Munich is still recalled dreamily by those fortunate enough to have seen it.

And yet, 41-year-old Marco van Basten, who was forced to terminate his blazing playing career at the age of 28 years by an ankle injury, is a virtual newcomer to the world of World Cup coaching. Before he took over as the Dutch coach in July 2004, his only coaching experience was a brief spell with the famous Dutch club Ajax's second team.

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But already he is being credited as the man who discovered a fresh batch of talented players. Players like Robin van Persie, who have given the 'best team never to win a World Cup' one more hope of laying hands on the elusive top prize in football.

Image: van Basten at the Dutch pre-World Cup training camp in Switzerland. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images