CLARENCE SEEDORF: Winning the Champions League, partnership with Kluivert & today's game | OFF THE BALL
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What makes Clarence Seedorf a legendary figure in the Champions League?
You could hear a pin drop in the lobby. It was that quiet. It's obviously hard now because of the way that's all ended.
I will have that forever.
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OK, I'm delighted to say that we are here in Budapest. It is Champions League final day. We are at the Just Eat home of champions at the Champions Deserve event. And there's no bigger champion really in the history of the Champions League than a man who's won it with three different clubs, Clarence Seedorf. How are you doing? I'm great. How are you? I'm very well. One of the things that I always think about you, Clarence, is that you can talk to a kid who's only started watching football in the last couple of years, and they'll still probably be able to tell you something about the Ajax team of 1995. because of how amazing you guys were and how fresh that still feels over 30 years on. Why do you think that team still lingers positively in the memory?
Well, first of all, the kids of today are so privileged to have the possibility to connect with the generation they didn't see live due to, you know, all the gaming and the world around football. I think it's a privilege for us that our life has extended due to the digital world that connects us still with the youngest generation and it's beautiful. that they connect and when they see how we played and they appreciate it still and they go back and of course we had amazing talent in that team and it really transcends like many generations before us as well you know any generation is just amazing when you can connect with great football and great talents. Who was the greatest talent on that team?
I think we had an abundance of credible talents. I mean, to start with my brother from another mother, Patrick Kluivert, you had Edgar David, you had Frank Rijkaard. And if I need to name one, Frank Rijkaard was, of course... the man and the team. Then you had Yari Litman and Finidi George over us. We could just continue to pick amazing squads. Edwin van der Sar. I think that out of that generation, Most individuals had an amazing career.
You called him your brother from another mother, Patrick Kluivert. When you're on the bench watching him score that winning goal in that final, do you get an extra sense of pride and an extra sense of joy seeing Kluivert score the winning goal?
We grew up together since we were 10, so you can imagine. There is like... There's like minus 100 of jealousy, there's no jealousy. There's only love and respect and admiration and when he scored that goal and being still the one that made the difference that day is a great feeling and we celebrated it properly. Go on, tell us more. I don't know if I can go into all the details. We really celebrated for a whole week, I remember, on the boats, in the canals. It was really special, seeing Patrick scoring that goal, being able to celebrate it with my idol, Frank Rijkaard. Yeah, being part of the squad, having been part of the squad in a prominent way the whole year at such a young age, it was a privilege.
So, arriving with the airplane over the Museumplein and seeing millions of people just gathered to celebrate with us this amazing victory.
For sure. It was that amazing Dutch midfield. Come 1998, it split up a little bit. You're on an opposing side to Edgar Davids at this stage. It's you versus Davids versus Zidane as well. When you see those two guys lining up against you ahead of the Champions League final in 1998, what are the emotions like? I'm sure there's plenty of confidence because you're wearing the Real Madrid jersey at that point and you know that you guys tend to win quite a lot of Champions Leagues.
Yeah, I never tended to focus on the adversaries when I was playing, really. I was always focused on our own team, my own game, imposing my game. So being in the space of self-confidence and conviction. We were the underdogs, by the way.
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