Falling on air… Ex-Real Madrid star denies racism in belated apology

Just minutes after the Netherlands’ disappointing draw against Japan, the lights had turned from the stadium to the commentary booth, where Raphael van der Vaart’s statement sparked a storm of anger and re-opened the topic of racism in European sports media.

The verdict has cost the former Real Madrid star a barrage of criticism and an apology that many saw as belated and inadequate after the insult he hurled at Japanese footballers.

Former Dutch star Raphael van der Vaart apologized, reports…Sports,” about a comment that fans and the media described as racist during his analysis of the Netherlands-Japan match that ended in a 2-2 draw in the Windows World Cup opener.

The error of Van der Vaart, the analyst of the Dutch “Ziggo Sport” network, happened after the equalizing goal after the Japanese corner kick.

When discussing the poor defensive coverage, the commentator said: “They’re all the same, maybe that’s why…” He then quickly tried to rectify the situation, stressing that it was “just a joke”, but the statement immediately sparked outrage.

The Netherlands’ first appearance at the World Cup did not live up to expectations as Ronald Koeman’s men conceded the lead twice before settling for a 2-2 draw against an organized Japanese side.

The statement quickly spread across social media platforms and sparked widespread criticism, as many saw it as a racist rant unbecoming of a public figure and that such statements “must be a thing of the past”.

Against the volume of reactions, Van der Vaart apologized, saying: “I understand that my words were offensive to many… If anyone was offended, I apologize. I didn’t mean that at all. I respect all people from all backgrounds.”

This is not the first time that the former Real Madrid and Real Betis player has found himself at the center of controversy since his retirement. He had previously attacked Lamine Yamal for “the way he wears his pants” and accused him of “believing he is a god”. He also described Spain’s performance at Euro 2021 as “very poor”.