Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf has blamed Holland boss Marco Van Basten for his decision to withdraw from Euro 2008.
The Suriname-born star stunned Dutch fans by announcing that he wouldn’t be representing the Oranje in Austria and Switzerland.
Van Basten had frozen Seedorf out of the side between 2004 and 2006, but recently reintroduced him and claims that he tried to persuade the talented playmaker to reconsider his decision.
“I am 32-years-old and perhaps this would have been my last European Championship,” Seedorf told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“It was a dream to play for Holland, but I already had that dream taken away from me for the World Cup in Germany.
“Therefore I couldn’t have done anything else other than pull out or I would have been going against my integrity.
“Why did Van Basten have preconceptions about me that influenced the way he valued me as a player?
“Once he said I was like a Hollywood star. I wish Holland all the best at Euro 2008, but it’s better than Van Basten takes players he trusts to Switzerland.”
However, it seems that Seedorf’s decision to pull out of this summer’s competition doesn’t signify his international retirement because Van Basten will step down after the tournament.
“I am ready to give my contribution in the World Cup qualifiers if the new Coach wants me,” he insisted.
“Right now I am just thinking about Milan and the final game of the season. I hope that we can still get to the Champions League.”
