EURO 2004/Semi-Finals: Marco van Basten, one of the heroes of Holland's triumphant 1988 European Championship campaign, has emerged as one of the front runners to succeed Dick Advocaat if, as expected, the Dutch national coach resigns from his post next week writes Emmet Malone in Lisbon.

Advocaat suggested after Thursday's defeat by host nation Portugal that while he had not been happy with his treatment at the hands of the media, he was still considering staying on for another two years. He insisted, however, that no announcement would be made until the middle of next week when he is due to meet with officials from the national association to review his situation.

"There are reasons to go and some to stay too," said Advocaat at the press conference where he attributed Portugal's victory to "the fact that they were the better team out there tonight. Our problems weren't just in one area. Our players didn't produce the passing they needed to or provide the support to each other that was required in any area. When that happens it is difficult to win games but Portugal were also very good and they deserve their place in the final."

Despite hinting that he may yet stay on, it is widely expected back in Holland that Advocaat will go, not least because of the treatment he has had to endure from the Dutch media and the team's supporters, both of whom hold him in low regard.

Ironically the team has, under Advocaat, achieved as much as most people in the country had hoped for and, more specifically, precisely what the coach and the association agreed was a reasonable target in advance of the tournament.

During the past couple of weeks there has also been a rare degree of unity achieved within the camp, something that was particularly noticeable in the aftermath of the penalty shoot-out victory over Sweden.

Frank de Boer and Jaap Stam have both said that they will now retire from international football while Marc Overmars and Pierre van Hooijdonk are unlikely to be anything more than peripheral figures by the time the campaign to qualify for the World Cup in Germany.

The bulk of the squad that represented the country here, however, are set to go well beyond the team's next campaign with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Patrick Kluivert both having turned 28 yesterday while Clarence Seedorf and Giovanni van Bronckhorst are amongst the well established players who have yet to pass the 30 mark.

Edgar Davids, Phillip Cocu and Edwin Van der Sar are all expected to play on and there is considerable excitement about the emerging generation of stars, several of whom have featured here including Arjen Robben, Wes Sneijder, Johnny Heitinga and Rafael van der Vaart. Whoever the new coach is, then, he will face considerable expectations as he sets out to take the team to Germany.

One problem, though, is that the Dutch, who finished second in the qualifying competition for Euro 2004 to the Czechs, and then lost to them in spectacular fashion here in Portugal (a result for which Advocaat has not been forgiven), face the prospect of competing with them again for a place in the 2006 finals.

While van Basten is one of a number of former stars being linked with the job in the event that Advocaat does go, another strong contender is reckoned to be Co Adriaanse, the former Ajax coach under whom AZ last year were surprise qualifiers for the UEFA Cup. Ruud Gullit had been felt to be in the reckoning to succeed Advocaat and had originally been lined up to work with the squad here in Portugal but the plan was abandoned when he signed a two-year contract to take charge of Feyenoord from the start of next season.