World cup runners up Holland team returns home

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henry

13 July, 2010

After a hard fought battle against Spain in FIFA 2010 on Sunday, July 10 with 0-1 loss, Holland's team returned to Amsterdam today, July 12.

AFTER A hard fought battle against Spain in FIFA 2010 on Sunday, July 11 with 0-1 loss, Holland’s team returned to Amsterdam today, July 12. Holland's defeated World Cup team arrived home late Monday with their plane escorted into Dutch airspace by an air force F-16 fighter jet painted orange, the national colour.

After landing at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, the players were greeted with flowers and taken by bus to a hotel on the North Sea coast.

On Tuesday, July 13, Queen Beatrix and outgoing Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende will greet the players before an official welcome is held in Amsterdam.

Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to take part in the festivities, which are to include a boat trip through the city's canals, followed by a reception at the city's Museum Square.

The boat trip was originally reported to have been cancelled after the team lost Sunday night's final 0-1 to Spain, but city officials said on Monday that it would definitely take place.

The nation's disappointment at losing the final turned violent at some of the fanfests held across the country, leading to dozens of people being taken into temporary custody.

Some 40 people were detained in The Hague when about 200 fans went on the rampage.

The Dutch media gave generally favorable coverage of the team's performance, which was characterized as excessively robust by the international media.