Van der Vaart strikes back after an “attack”

The World Championship in the United States, Mexico and Canada has been over for the Netherlands national team for almost two weeks now, but the criticism is still far from dying down.

In the meantime, Ronald Koeman's son has also become a topic of conversation because he has spoken out—indeed, at times quite harshly—about criticisms of his father Ronald Koeman. In turn, Rafael van der Vaart has responded to the critical remarks that Ronald Koeman junior recently made about him. The goalkeeper of Telstar is bothered by the way pundits talk about his father on television. In particular, Van der Vaart and Van Hooijdonk will have to answer to Koeman Junior.

Koeman junior lashed out firmly on SBS6’s Het Oranje Café at the critics of the former national team coach. Thus, Telstar’s goalkeeper had criticism of the way Valentijn Driessen interviewed his father. The analysts also had to take it. "I don’t know if I should say this, but all those analysts used to have a real dislike for people complaining about them. And now they’re doing exactly the same thing. I find that annoying."

Presenter Sam van Rooyen then mentioned the names of NOS analysts Rafael van der Vaart and Pierre van Hooijdonk, where Koeman junior replied: "Yes. They all experienced it earlier, how annoying it is. Also for the family. But of course they also have to earn a living."

Van der Vaart was confronted by Sportnieuws with the criticism from Koeman junior. However, the former international sticks to his earlier analyses. "We only said that he coached in the wrong system. I believe that was also the case. If you are a national team coach, you know: this is part of it. Koeman is a fantastic guy, a fantastic coach. It’s just that this tournament didn’t suit him", Van der Vaart lashes out at Koeman and Koeman Junior.

Does Van der Vaart understand that Koeman junior is defending his father. "If they were to say something about my father, I would also give them a piece of my mind. That’s how the world works. Isn’t it only logical that you protect your father?" said Van der Vaart.