Kluivert's joy

Ronald de Boer celebrates Holland's second

Patrick Kluivert was overjoyed at Holland's successful qualification through to the Euro 2000 quarter-finals.

The Barcelona striker scored the opening goal of the 3-0 win over Denmark which guarantees that the Dutch and the French go through to the next round.

"It's fantastic for the whole country and now the party can start. It was better tonight because we played with fast wingers. But it's not only good football that counts but the result," said Kluivert.

It's fantastic for the whole country and now the party can start

Goalscorer Patrick Kluivert

But there was only disappointment for the Denmark coach Bo Johansson, whose side now have nothing to play for but pride after successive 3-0 defeats.

"We were exhausted after the defending we had to do in the first-half and just couldn't play as we wanted to in the second-half," lamented Denmark's Swedish coach Bo Johansson.

Patrick Kluivert broke the deadlock on 57 minutes

"In the second-half the players were tired in fact more tired than they should have been.

"After the second goal we completely lost our formation and were lucky just to concede another goal," said Johansson who will be replaced by Morten Olsen after Euro 2000.

Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp added: "We want to play all our next games in Holland and in order to do so we need to win the next game.

"Maybe we should have scored a few more goals so that a draw would have been enough against France, but now we know what we have to do and that's to win."

Denmark coach Johansson admitted the Dutch eventually deserved their 3-0 victory but conceded: "It is not easy to smile.

"The Netherlands are better than we are, no doubt," added Johansson, who takes care of his last game as coach against the Czechs before Morten Olsen takes over.

"It has to be played and we must try to do our best again. We tried in this match as well but when we were down 2-0 and 3-0 our game fell apart," he said.