The Dutch reached back-to-back finals in the 70's managed by Michels in 1974 and Happel four years later but suffered defeats against the hosts West Germany and Argentina respectively.
The normally stoic Van Marwijk was fighting tears when he tried to explain what his team had just achieved by beating the South Americans at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town.
"It is hard to comprehend, such a small country, but not a small footballing country, reaching the World Cup final," Van Marwijk told a news conference.
"We started two years ago with this squad and said from the beginning that you have to believe in it but that has been quite a process to get to where we are now."
"It wasn't easy but finally the whole team started to believe that it is possible to win this title," he added.
"But like has happened too often in the past, when we play beautiful football, we have to be careful we aren't satisfied too early.
"Against Uruguay we started well but then we lost control of the midfield but managed to regain it."
"I set that straight at halftime and after that we were a bit differently organised and started to play better and then we had the individual qualities to settle it," he said.
"The relief was enormous and wonderful but we are not done yet, we have still got one match to play."
The Dutch will play either Germany or Spain in Sunday's final at Johannesburg's Soccer City. The two finalists of Euro 2008 meet in the second semi-final in Durban later on Wednesday.
