Although he no longer plays football, Rafael Van der Vaart , now involved in commentary work, was the man from the previous one in Spain-Slovakia . His fierce criticism of Spain was taken as an affront in the dressing room of Luis Enrique’s team , who reacted in the decisive match by endorsing a hand to get into the second round. The former Dutch footballer reacted with humor on his social networks to the Spanish win.
“Spain is horrible, they just pass the ball from one side to the other, I hope it touches us,” Van der Vaart had written on his social networks before Luis Enrique’s national team match against Slovakia . Several of our players took it personally and who knows if the Dutchman’s words became an encouragement for the Spanish team.
«It seems that my words served as motivation for the Spanish team. Good game tonight, congratulations on reaching the crossroads, ” Van der Vaart tweeted, taking his erroneous prediction with humor.
Looks like my words worked as motivation for @SeFutbol 😜 Good game tonight, congrats on reaching the knockouts 👏
— Rafael van der Vaart (@rafvdvaart) June 23, 2021
Van der Vaart had, through his own words, placed himself in the eye of the hurricane for his fierce criticism of Spain’s game, which touched on the lack of respect towards Luis Enrique’s internationals, whom he described as “horrible”.
Several Spanish players, such as the veterans Koke or Busquets , answered the former Dutch player and spoiled his “lack of respect”, in addition to predicting that his provocative words could serve as a “stimulus” to those of Luis Enrique.
Var der Vaart has captured the spotlight in the Spanish press before and after the duel against Slovakia, but has also crept into the chronicles of his own country after the 5-0 with which Spain sealed its pass to the second round.
“The storm in Spain evaporates the criticism of Rafael van der Vaart”, headlines the digital edition of De Telegraaf . The most widely read newspaper in the Netherlands adds that the words of the former Dutch international seem “to have had an effect on the Spanish team”, which “swept Slovakia in Seville.”
