THE SWAN'S GRACE
In this nation so much in love with football, a press conference surrounding the national team is bound to draw a large audience of journalists from every corner of the Kingdom. Well before it starts, the room is being flooded by masters of the word but slaves to sales figures.
These are the men and women who destroyed Advocaat and who silenced Van Gaal. The people who dared go up against Cruyff and the late Michels and who would never back down from a challenge to Hiddink or Gullit or Rykaard. Fearless, ruthless and vicious beings. If it is blood they want, then blood will flow.
Until the Swan lands. As soon as he enters the room, it goes silent. The first interviewer is introduced, he stands up, receives a greeting and a broad smile, and stumbles to formulate the question he rehearsed time and time again before he came here.
Forty-five minutes later, the press conference ends. There haven't been any highly critical questions, no interruptions and certainly no blood. The notorious journalists have been completely charmed by the natural charisma of a man who's IQ is said to be through the roof.
Because when it comes down to it; Marco van Basten can get away with just about anything in the land that will probably never cease to worship
that volley.
By Erik Pleyte
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I witnessed a press conference and have noticed this 'phenomenon' before. Somebody had to write it down so I figured I might as well give it a shot