Spain has vowed to respond to ex-Netherlands player Raphael van der Vaart’s stinging comments about its modest start to Euro 2020 if it faces his country later in the finals.
Van der Vaart, an analyst at NOS, said during the tournament, describing Spain’s performance as “distasteful” so far, mocking him by saying, “They only know how to move the ball from one side to the other” after the 2008 and 2012 champions settled for a draw in their first two matches with Sweden and Poland.
The former Real Madrid midfielder, who was unable to stop Andres Iniesta from scoring Spain’s winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final, sparked controversy in the Spanish media and his comments prompted response from Spain’s players.