The Dutch waited 14 years to get their revenge in the Euro 1988 semifinal, also in Germany, but Germany eliminated the Dutch from the semifinals of the 1990 World Cup in a match that boiled over when Dutchman Frank Rijkaard was sent off after spitting at Rudi Voller twice.

WSJ: Like for Like Among Old Rivals

"You cannot get over the French and Dutch problems while Chirac and Balkenende are still in government, " says the leader of the Liberal group in the European Parliament, Graham Watson.

BBC: NEWS | Europe | Treaty woes thwart EU ambitions