The Netherlands has a tendency to produce pairs of brothers who are extremely talented footballers: the De Boers (Ronald and Frank), the Koemans (Ronald and Edwin), the Kerkhofs (Willy and Rene)... The latest to keep the fraternal tradition alive are the Sneijders (Jeffrey, Wesley and Rodney). In the latest edition of Hala Madrid magazine, Wesley Sneijder discusses this new saga of European football.
The Utrecht neighborhood of Ondiep witnessed the birth of one of the latest dynasties to emerge from the Netherlands. Jeffrey (26), Wesley (24) and Rodney (18) are the Sneijder brothers. Raised among the ranks of Ajax, they have all graced the world of professional football. The oldest of the three, Jeffrey is perhaps the least recognized. His career began with F.C. Den Bosch and USV. Elinkwijk, but injury forced an early retirement from the game. After five seasons with Ajax, Wesley moved straight to Real Madrid, where he played an instrumental role in winning the 2007/08 league title. Little brother Rodney is an up and coming star at Ajax and just about ready to explode onto the stage. “My parents are thrilled to have three kids who play football,” says Wesley, “I live here in Madrid and my little brother Rodney plays for Ajax, but my older brother had to hang up his boots due to injury.”
Despite the fact that they all play the same position, they have three very different styles. “Jeffrey is more defensive but he can use both legs,” relates Wesley, “Rodney is the future. He looks more like me, but he is left-footed. He just uses the other to walk. He currently plays in the Ajax academy, but I hope he makes it to the first team soon.” Like many other Dutch children, the Wesley brothers grew up playing football in the street. “Many people in Holland begin playing in the street. Rodney has the best technique of the three of us because he always wanted to play as soon as school was out. Jeffrey and I have technique, but we didn’t learn it by playing in the street,” adds the midfielder. Possessing similar physiques, the trio improved their skills at Ajax. “We all played there. I think Ajax and Real Madrid are very similar in the sense that they are both breeding grounds of players.”
Only once throughout their careers have they met on the field of play. “Jeffrey and I played against each other a long time ago. I was 17 and playing for Ajax. He was with Second Division team Stormvogels Telstar,” recalls Wesley, “We thrashed them. It was a bit strange, and when he was attacking our goal I didn’t care that he was my brother.” Wesley Sneijder is proud of his two brothers and insists that “Rodney will be the best of the three. He is very talented and is still only 17 years old.” In the last Under-17 European Championship, Rodney reached the semifinals, where the Netherlands were eliminated by Spain. With such a bright future ahead, Rodney doesn’t hesitate to seek advice from his older brother. “I can’t tell him anything because he has already got the talent. He just needs to have his head tied on a little tighter,” explains Wesley, “a lot of people try to compare us, but he needs to stay focused because he’s about to begin the most important part of his career.”
Wesley Sneijder cannot hide his pride and admiration when speaking about his two brothers, especially Rodney. Both are huge Dutch football stars and they will continue making waves with so much playing time to look forward to. One day they might even share a dressing room, “a dream come true,” says Wesley
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