Thinking of the greatest victories for the AC Milan (Italian Soccer Club), most soccer fans would scream out the name of the club’s all time best player, Marco van Basten. Marco or Mike van Basten has brought himself and his team to be one of the best soccer teams in the world since 1988 European Championships.
Marco van Basten was born on October 31, 1964 in the Dutch city of Utrecht in Holland. As a child, Marco was not dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player, but he would rather be the most unbelievable kicker ever seen in the soccer world. Marco began his career with a short lived spell at local side Edilwijk before being whisked off to Dutch super club Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands Soccer Club) in 1980. During his seven years with Ajax, Marco scored twenty-eight goals in just twenty-six games. Marco and his Ajax won the Dutch league in 1985, and he received his first trophy called the Golden Boot (European top soccer).
The year of 1988 was probably Marco’s best year when he joined the AC Milan and won the Serie A championship. With his traditional strike and his sensational hat trick (scoring three goals in one match), which he was the first and so far only player to do so, Marco was named the European player of the year and the top player in European Championship. “After watching him for a while, you will be amazed with his all round skills and his big body frame twisted and turned inside the box, fooling the best of the defenders with such ease, and his ability to turn the slimmest chance into a goal made him one of the most deadliest striker of all time,” “Van Basten the divine!” wrote Dianni Brera, one of the greatest Italian football journalists.
The 1990 World Cup in Italy was a disappointment for the Milan and all Dutch fans because Marco van Basten failed to score and lost the final game against Germany. However in 1991-1992 European Championship, Marco inspired Milan to some of the greatest soccer games ever seen in Serie A. He smashed all unbeaten records and beat the best goalkeeper at that time. Unfortunately, his career was destroyed with an ankle injury, which was mostly caused by the attacking of other teams’ defenders. He was in several ankle operations while the Milan still paid his wages, thought to be $2.5 million a year which was high even by today’s standards.
At the age of twenty-eight, Marco van Basten admitted his career was over after his last game in August 1995. Marco’s retirement announcement hit every fan and other players. After his last match at San Siro’s stadium, Marco left his career with 85,000 people stood up and clapped him as last wave. The AC Milan’s vice president, Adriana Galliani, sorely said, “The soccer loses his Leonardo Da Vinci,” as Marco left the team. In the past six years with the Milan, Marco had played a major part in removing the team from the back and laying down a solid foundation for future success. He scored an incredible 90 goals in 147 Serie A games and picked up European Cup, World Club Cup, European Super Cup, European Soccer of the Year, World Player of the Year, and FIFA World Player of the Year which was the most important award because only four players have received this award in the soccer history.
Marco van Basten had made a legend of himself before his injury dramatically shortened his brilliant career. These days, Marco, his wife Elisabeth whom he married in 1992, and their three children Alexander, Angelica, and Rebecca have two homes—one in Elisabeth’s home village of Badhoevedorp and another in Monaco. Now, Marco is playing golf as a hobby and sometimes plays soccer on the beach with his close friends. Marco said that he felt good when he made the decision to stop playing. “My mind needs rest, especially because after my injury I noticed that there is more to life than I realized.” Marco also gave some advices to all athletes, “Being winner or being on the top needs stability, but it is extremely difficult because everybody is out to bring you down.” From the interview with FIFA Magazine, Marco said that he did not want to coach or play soccer anymore, but he hoped he can change his mind and in the future he can coach the AC Milan.
Even though his career was cut short, his achievement was not. Marco van Basten had been the most loved player of the AC Milan team, because he talked a little, and communicated more with the actions and the goals on the field. For Dutch fans and soccer fans around the world, they will always remember Marco’s spectacular strikes, numerous beautiful overhead kicks, and the unbelievable strike from an impossible angle.