Mark van Bommel realistic after Antwerp punishment: ‘This is the top of Europe, we have to go there too’ | Foreign football

“I can’t blame the boys. I just thought we were good on the ball. But this is Champions League level. This is the top of the world, the top of Europe. How they play is where we have to go. But we are still far away from that. That’s no shame at all. We now experience this as a great learning moment. That’s how you should see it. This was the first of six matches and also the most difficult. Barcelona is simply a very good team,” Van Bommel said to Belgian media.

He had a special meeting with Barcelona coach Xavi during the match after the Spanish team’s 2-0. According to Van Bommel, he complimented Xavi on Frenkie de Jong’s pass. “It was a nice pass. That’s what I went to tell him. Xavi and I are good friends. We also spoke to each other before the match.”

They were on the field together in the final of the Champions League, when FC Barcelona won against Arsenal in 2006. After one year, Van Bommel left Spain to play for Bayern Munich.