A continent comes together every four years for the footballing celebration which is the European Championships.
But, fortunately for neutral TV viewers out there, some footballing enmities last longer than others.
The simmering rivalry between the Netherlands and Germany, which receives its latest incarnation in Group B of Euro 2012 in Kharkiv tonight, is one of those matches which has a definite edge to it – although not quite on a par with that which exists between the Russians and the Poles, with supporters of either side last night waging a battle in the streets of Krakow. The feud has deep roots, stretching back to lingering Dutch resentment over their occupation by Nazi Germany during World War II, and it has manifested itself in a number of feisty footballing encounters over the years.
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