By winning the UEFA Cup, Dick Advocaat, the Dutch coach of Zenit Saint Petersburg, has finally got his hands on a major international football trophy. By Johan van der Tol*

Immediately after the final whistle of the UEFA Cup Final, in which ‘his' team beat Glasgow Rangers 2-0, he leapt for joy, clenched fists in the air.

Crowning achievement
Advocaat, a native of The Hague who has never before won a European championship, said: "This is probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'm really happy that we won, even though it's hard for my former colleagues at Glasgow Rangers. It's amazing what we've managed this season.

" He was alluding to Zenit's becoming Russian national football champions. He had already won the Dutch title with PSV Eindhoven, and the Scottish title with Glasgow Rangers. "

But this is the crowning achievement. I'd stopped expecting it," he crowed.
His win will give him similar hero status in Russia to that of his compatriot, Guus Hiddink, who has steered the Russian national team to the European Championships. Zenit fans were celebrating into the early hours in Saint Petersburg.

Mr Advocaat will be personally congratulated on Thursday evening by former president and now Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is still seen as the most powerful figure in Russia.

Reputation back home
The UEFA victory will probably also help improve Mr Advocaat's image back home in the Netherlands, where he is generally blamed for the Dutch national team's defeat in the 2004 European Championship. His substitution of Paul Bosvelt for Arjen Robben, the best player on the field, when Holland were leading 2-1 is largely considered the reason why the Czech Republic eventually won 3-2.

His caution was ridiculed by the Dutch footballing community. The fact that the national team went on to reach the semi-finals of the European Championships in Portugal and won a penalty shoot-out did little to improve matters: Advocaat was finished.

'Little General'
The 2004 final was the second time that the ‘Little General' led the national team in a major championship. They were knocked out of the quarter finals of the 1994 World Cup in the United States. But that was an honourable defeat in a dazzling match at the hands of Brazil, who went on to become world champions. Advocaat went on to win national club titles in three countries.

The question is how much longer will Dutch football fans deny Advocaat who is now known as the ‘Little Tsar' hero status in his own country.

*RNW translation (mw/as)

[Copyright Radio Netherlands World]