Dutch U-23 boss Foppe De Haan is sticking to his guns, shrugging off Rafael Benitez concerns that Ryan Babel's Olympic participation could seriously disrupt his plans for the injury-plagued starlet.
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez must have been relieved to see his Euro 2008 battlers arrive back on Merseyside with a tough pre-season schedule looming for the Reds.
However, the wily Spaniard wasn't happy to learn that Holland Olympics coach Foppe De Haan was eager to take injury-plagued Ryan Babel to Beijing, with Javier Mascherano also looking to join up with the Argentina squad.
De Haan previously admitted that crocked Babel was a big loss to the Netherlands’ Euro 2008 squad, saying: “His absence was a large blow to the national side. He could have been our secret weapon.”
The 21-year-old, an £11.5m signing from Ajax, last summer ruptured his Achilles’ tendon in training ahead of the Austria and Switzerland showpiece and Benitez was keen for him to rest up in order to enjoy a full pre-season in order to hit the ground running.
The worried boss told the Liverpool Echo this week: "This season is very important for him, so this is a big problem. We prepare him and then he goes away with the national team."
However, bullish De Haan has now hit back at Benitez, insisting "As I understand it, coaches always think about themselves first."
If Babel does indeed head for China, he'll miss a couple of early Premiership matches and the third round or Champions League qualifying.
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez must have been relieved to see his Euro 2008 battlers arrive back on Merseyside with a tough pre-season schedule looming for the Reds.
However, the wily Spaniard wasn't happy to learn that Holland Olympics coach Foppe De Haan was eager to take injury-plagued Ryan Babel to Beijing, with Javier Mascherano also looking to join up with the Argentina squad.
De Haan previously admitted that crocked Babel was a big loss to the Netherlands’ Euro 2008 squad, saying: “His absence was a large blow to the national side. He could have been our secret weapon.”
The 21-year-old, an £11.5m signing from Ajax, last summer ruptured his Achilles’ tendon in training ahead of the Austria and Switzerland showpiece and Benitez was keen for him to rest up in order to enjoy a full pre-season in order to hit the ground running.
The worried boss told the Liverpool Echo this week: "This season is very important for him, so this is a big problem. We prepare him and then he goes away with the national team."
However, bullish De Haan has now hit back at Benitez, insisting "As I understand it, coaches always think about themselves first."
If Babel does indeed head for China, he'll miss a couple of early Premiership matches and the third round or Champions League qualifying.
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