Criticism after a serious foul
Tottenham star apologizes to opponent
December 25, 2025 – 6:12 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
A foul that ended badly for Alexander Isak. Now, after much criticism, his opponent has commented on the situation surrounding the Liverpool star.
Shortly before Christmas, Liverpool’s star striker Alexander Isak received the bitter diagnosis: ankle injury and fibula fracture. The accident happened in the “Reds” league game against Tottenham Hotspur (2:1). Isak shot Liverpool into the lead. The 26-year-old was brought down by ex-Wolfsburg player Micky van de Ven while finishing and twisted his left foot. The Tottenham star subsequently received a lot of criticism – and has now spoken out.
Van de Ven explained on Sky Sports: “I sent him a message because of course I didn’t want to hurt him or hurt him. I just wanted to block the shot.” It was “bad luck” that Isak was injured.
The former Wolfsburg player explained: “That’s why I sent him a message afterwards and of course wished him all the best. I hope that he can play again soon.” Liverpool coach Arne Slot didn’t see the action the same way as his opponent. He emphasized that the Tottenham professional had acted “recklessly”.
Slot also said: “With van de Ven’s foul, there is a high probability that the player will be seriously injured.” Tottenham coach Thomas Frank contradicted this: “I have a different opinion. We are talking about a defender, Micky van de Ven, who will do everything to prevent a goal.”
The culprit from Slot’s perspective now explained that his message to Alexander Isak was well received. “He was happy about the news and wrote me back,” said Micky van de Ven.