Editing Marco van Basten (section)

==Playing career==
[[File:Van Basten (r) juicht na zijn treffer (2-0), midden Feyenoorddoelman Hiele, Bestanddeelnr 932-7028.jpg|thumb|left|van Basten celebrates his goal for Ajax to give the team a 2–0 lead in an eventual 8–2 win against [[Feyenoord]] in September 1983, following [[Gerald Vanenburg]]'s corner. [[Edo Ophof]] (Ajax), [[Felix Gasselich]] (Ajax), [[André Hoekstra]] (Feyenoord) and goalkeeper [[Joop Hiele]] (Feyenoord) are the other players in the picture. The average age of the Ajax team at the time was roughly {{frac|22|1|2}} years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.afc-ajax.info/en/match/1983-9-18-Ajax-Feyenoord |title=Ajax - Feyenoord 8 - 2 (9/18/1983) |date=18 September 1983 |publisher=www.afc-ajax.info |access-date=17 April 2020 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803202348/https://www.afc-ajax.info/en/match/1983-9-18-Ajax-Feyenoord |url-status=live }}</ref>]]

===Early years===
Marco van Basten was born on 31 October 1964 in [[Utrecht (city)|Utrecht]] and grew up in the ''Oog In Al'' neighborhood. He began playing for a local team, EDO, when he was six years old. A year later, he moved to [[UVV Utrecht]]. After nine years there, he briefly played for another club from Utrecht, [[Elinkwijk]].

===Ajax===
[[File:KNVB-bekerfinale FC Den Haag tegen Ajax het hele Ajax-team met beker, Bestanddeelnr 934-0064.jpg|thumb|upright|Van Basten lifting the 1987 [[KNVB Cup]] for Ajax]]

[[AFC Ajax|Ajax]] signed 16-year-old Marco for the [[1981–82 Eredivisie|1981–82 season]] after his 19-year-old brother Stanley was rejected. Their father Joop had kept the younger son at another club with the hope that Ajax would take Stanley in professionally. He played his first match for Ajax on 3 April 1982, coming on as a substitute for Johan Cruyff, and scoring a debut goal in the team's 5–0 victory over [[N.E.C. (football club)|NEC]].<ref name="My School Sport">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2430624/My-School-Sport-Marco-van-Basten.html |title=My School Sport: Marco van Basten |work=The Telegraph |last1=Davies |first1=Gareth A |date=11 February 2002 |access-date=19 April 2020 |archive-date=1 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201001924/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2430624/My-School-Sport-Marco-van-Basten.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Games That Changed My Life">{{cite web |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/marco-van-basten-games-changed-my-life |title=Marco van Basten: Games That Changed My Life |publisher=FourFourTwo |date=20 April 2017 |access-date=19 April 2020 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803214155/https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/marco-van-basten-games-changed-my-life |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the [[1982–83 Eredivisie|1982–83 season]], he competed with the [[European Golden Boot|European top scorer]] and first choice Holland international [[Wim Kieft]] for the position of centre forward, and scored nine goals in 20 league matches. Ajax chose to sell Kieft to Italian [[Serie A]] club [[Pisa Calcio|Pisa]] the following season, and 18 year old Van Basten solidified his position as his team's main attacker similarly in the national team.

He was the top scorer in the league for four consecutive seasons, from 1983–84 to 1986–87, scoring 118 goals in 112 matches. In the 1985–86 season, he scored 37 goals in 26 league matches, including six goals against [[Sparta Rotterdam]] and five against [[Heracles Almelo]], and won the European Golden Boot. He also scored the winning goal in the [[European Cup Winners' Cup 1986–87|UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]] final against [[Lokomotive Leipzig]] in 1987. In total he scored 128 goals in 133 league matches for Ajax.<ref name="FIFA"/> In November 1986 he scored his most famous goal in an Ajax jersey, a spectacular [[overhead kick]] against [[FC Den Bosch]].<ref>[http://www.tvgids.nl/de-omhaal-van-marco-van-basten/youtubevideo/165667/ De omhaal van Marco van Basten] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226195738/http://www.tvgids.nl/de-omhaal-van-marco-van-basten/youtubevideo/165667/ |date=26 December 2017 }} - TV Gids {{in lang|nl}}</ref>

===AC Milan===

[[File:Marco van Basten 1990-1992.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Van Basten at [[AC Milan]]]]
In 1987, [[AC Milan|Milan]] president [[Silvio Berlusconi]] signed Van Basten, along with fellow countryman [[Ruud Gullit]]. In 1988, the Dutch legion got completed when [[Frank Rijkaard]] joined the club (at the time only three non-Italians were allowed). In his first season, Milan won their first ''[[Scudetto]]'' in eight years, but Van Basten played only 11 matches and was constantly troubled by an ankle injury.<ref name="FIFA"/><ref name="britannica">{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marco-van-Basten |title=Marco van Basten |publisher=www.britannica.com |author1=Adam Augustyn |access-date=25 June 2018 |archive-date=25 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625190145/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marco-van-Basten |url-status=live }}</ref> In [[1988–89 AC Milan season|1988–89]], Van Basten won the [[Ballon d'Or]] as Europe's top footballer.<ref name="FIFA"/> He scored 19 goals in [[Serie A]] and 32 goals in all competitions that year, including two goals in the [[1989 European Cup Final|final]] of the [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]], as Milan triumphed against [[FC Steaua București|Steaua București]].<ref name="FIFA"/> In [[1989–90 AC Milan season|1989–90]], he became ''Capocannoniere'' again (Serie A's leading goal scorer); Milan also successfully defended the European Cup after beating [[S.L. Benfica|Benfica]] 1–0 in the [[1990 European Cup Final|final]] match,<ref name="FIFA"/> during which Van Basten provided the assist for Rijkaard's match-winning goal.<ref name="Milan back-to-back triumphs"/>

Milan struggled in the [[1990–91 AC Milan season|1990–91 season]], as [[UC Sampdoria|Sampdoria]] won the ''Scudetto''. After Van Basten fell out with [[Arrigo Sacchi]], Berlusconi sacked the manager. [[Fabio Capello]] took over the following season, and Milan went undefeated in the league to win another ''Scudetto''. Van Basten scored 25 league goals, and became ''Capocannoniere'' again;<ref name="FIFA"/> his tally from the [[1991–92 Serie A|1991–92 season]] was the highest number of goals that a player had scored in a single Serie A season since [[Luís Vinício]] achieved the same tally during the [[1965–66 Serie A|1965–66 season]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/italtops.html |title=Italy - Serie A Top Scorers |author1=Roberto Di Maggio |author2=Igor Kramarsic |author3=Alberto Novello |date=11 June 2015 |website=[[RSSSF]] |access-date=18 June 2018 |archive-date=31 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031163443/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/italtops.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Quote box|width=30%|align=right|quote="Marco was the greatest striker I ever coached. His early retirement was a mortal misfortune for him, for football, and for Milan."
 |source =—Former Milan manager [[Fabio Capello]] in 2010 on working with Van Basten and his premature retirement.<ref>[http://www.goal.com/en-gh/news/4375/editorials/2012/12/09/3589458/theres-only-one-marco-van-basten-ac-milans-dutch-legend-may "There's only one Marco van Basten: AC Milan's Dutch legend may never be surpassed"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102201113/http://www.goal.com/en-gh/news/4375/editorials/2012/12/09/3589458/theres-only-one-marco-van-basten-ac-milans-dutch-legend-may |date=2 November 2013 }}. Goal.com. Retrieved 31 March 2013</ref>}}
In November 1992, he became the first player to [[List of UEFA Champions League hat-tricks|score four goals in a Champions League match]], against [[IFK Göteborg]], including a picture perfect [[bicycle kick]].<ref name="FIFA"/> In December 1992, Van Basten was named [[FIFA World Player of the Year]].<ref name="FIFA"/> Milan stretched their unbeaten run into the [[1992–93 AC Milan season|1992–93 season]], going 58 matches over two seasons before they lost a match.<ref name="FIFA"/> Van Basten was exceptional in the early part of the season. He was again voted the European player of the year, becoming the third player after [[Johan Cruyff]] and [[Michel Platini]] to win the award three times.<ref name="FIFA"/>

His troublesome ankle injury<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/dec/14/newsstory.sport17|title= How Capello won his nine league titles|work= [[The Guardian]]|date= 14 December 2007|access-date= 23 January 2009|location= London|first= Nicky|last= Bandini|archive-date= 7 October 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211007122049/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/dec/14/newsstory.sport17|url-status= live}}</ref> recurred in a game against [[AC Ancona|Ancona]], forcing him to endure another six-month layoff, and undergo a series of surgeries. He returned for the last few matches in the season, before Milan lost 1–0 to [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]] in the [[1993 UEFA Champions League Final|Champions League final]]. The match was Van Basten's final match for the Italian club.<ref name="FIFA"/> He came off in the 86th minute for [[Stefano Eranio]], after a hard tackle behind from [[Basile Boli]] condemned Van Basten to the third ankle surgery of his career.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/match/50054--marseille-vs-milan/ |title=Marseille 1-0 Milan |publisher=[[UEFA]] |access-date=18 June 2018 |archive-date=19 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619190653/https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/season=1992/matches/round=50/match=50054/index.html?iv=true |url-status=live }}</ref>

Van Basten had been hopeful of playing for his country at the [[1994 FIFA World Cup|1994]] [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] as well as for his club in the 1994–95 season after spending the whole 1993–94 season out of action (missing Milan's [[1994 European Cup Final|victory]] in the [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]] as well as their Serie A title glory),<ref>[http://www.itv.com/sport/football/championsleague/news/classic-highlights-1994-champions-league-final-ac-milan-v-barcelona-73652/ "Classic Highlights: 1994 Champions League Final – AC Milan v Barcelona"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309212412/http://www.itv.com/sport/football/championsleague/news/classic-highlights-1994-champions-league-final-ac-milan-v-barcelona-73652/ |date=9 March 2011 }}. ITV.com.</ref> but his club ordered him not to take part in the World Cup amid fear of ruining his rehabilitation.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-uefa-cup-call-for-newcastle-st-james-park-delighted-at-return-to-europe-while-dubliners-plan-a-huge-sendoff-1420397.html | location=London | work=The Independent | first=Henry | last=Winter | title=Football: Uefa Cup call for Newcastle: St James' Park delighted at return to Europe while Dubliners plan a huge send-off | date=4 June 1994 | access-date=3 November 2017 | archive-date=25 September 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925210410/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-uefa-cup-call-for-newcastle-st-james-park-delighted-at-return-to-europe-while-dubliners-plan-a-huge-sendoff-1420397.html | url-status=live }}</ref> He finally conceded defeat in his battle to recover on 17 August 1995, when he announced his retirement as a player after two whole years on the sidelines. Van Basten made a farewell appearance to thank the Milan fans before a home game at the [[San Siro]], with an emotional Milan coach [[Fabio Capello]] breaking down in tears.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/18/sports/sports-people-soccer-ac-milan-s-van-basten-retires.html | work=The New York Times | title=SPORTS PEOPLE: SOCCER; AC Milan's Van Basten Retires | date=18 August 1995 | access-date=17 February 2017 | archive-date=12 October 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012080147/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/18/sports/sports-people-soccer-ac-milan-s-van-basten-retires.html | url-status=live }}</ref>