Sneijder admits atmosphere different
The atmosphere within the Dutch camp is not the same at Uefa Euro 2012™ as it was at the 2010 World Cup admitted playmaker Wesley Sneijder on Monday.
The 28-year-old Inter Milan star - who starred for the Dutch as they reached the World Cup final only to lose to Spain - denied, though, that the squad was riven with discontent as has been claimed by many.
Dutch media had claimed on Monday that coach Bert van Marwijk was at odds with several of his star players notably Rafael van der Vaart, Nigel de Jong and striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.
The latter - leading scorer in the Bundesliga last season and with 12 goals the leading scorer overall in qualifiers - is known to be furious at van Marwijk preferring Robin van Persie to be the lone front man.
Van Persie failed to look anything like the player that rattled home 30 goals in the Premier League last season in their opening 1-0 defeat by Denmark on Saturday which had made it a miserable birthday for Sneijder.
"The atmosphere is not the same as at the 2010 World Cup," said Sneijder, who himself had bemoaned the chances not being taken on Saturday.
"But it is normal when one loses the first match," he was quoted as saying on the website of Algemeen Dagblad.
"That said, it is not obligatory that we should all be friends in order to play together and win games.
"And I don't have the impression that there are clans, or small cliques that are opposing each other.
"If that was the case I would react, because I am here to become champion of Europe."
Sneijder, who had a injury-blighted season last term for Inter, admitted that it was not easy handling the squad.
"There are several players with huge egos in the team," said Sneijder.
"That is normal. Huntelaar is the leading scorer in the Bundesliga, Van Persie in England. De Jong won the Premier League title with Manchester City."
The Dutch play old foes Germany on Wednesday in Kharkiv where defeat would almost certainly end their hopes of reaching the quarterfinals.
