Rafael van der Vaart apologized for his words.
Rafael van der Vaart caused a stir with his words. PDO
Dutch futsal legend Rafael van der Vaart43, made headlines when he made a rather racist rant on TV after the Holland-Japan game.
The former midfielder went through Daichi Kamada A 2–2 equalizing goal that came at the very end of the match. Van der Vaart thinks the goal went Micky van de Ven’s to the spike.
– He (van de Ven) completely lost him. You see how he moves around. If it’s your job to keep him, you’re responsible for it. Look, he is completely free. Van de Ven is nowhere to be seen. He was completely free to push, van der Vaart stated.
Shortly after this, van der Vaart was still thinking about why van de Ven disappeared Kamada.
– All of them [japanilaiset] look so alike, maybe that’s why.
After the racist rant, an awkward silence descended on the studio.
– Of course it was a joke. I dare not say anything more, van der Vaart continued.
After the incident, van der Vaart apologized for what he said.
– My intention was never to offend, hurt or discriminate against anyone.
He also stated that he opposes racism in all forms and that he respects all people regardless of background.
– I understand that some people find my words offensive. I am sincerely sorry for that. If I’ve upset people with this, I apologize. That was not my intention.
Van der Vaart played in Ajax, HSV, Real Madrid and Tottenham in his career. In the Dutch national team, the playmaker played 109 games and scored 25 goals.
Holland’s World Cup tournament continues on Saturday against Sweden.