Former Dutch footballer Van der Vaart criticised his compatriot for the performances he is putting in at Barcelona. He compared the 26-year-old to a “postman” for how much he carries the ball instead of handing it to other teammates.
Rafael van der Vaart has been known throughout his career to give almost more to talk about as a commentator than he did as a footballer.
During Barcelona’s Champions League match against Napoli, the former Netherlands international was on ‘Ziggo Sport’ to analyse the game and focused his words on his compatriot Frenkie de Jong.
“Frenkie de Jong plays football like a postman. [He’s too slow], takes too long to pass the ball forward, instead he keeps running and carrying it to his teammate,” he said. “Once you move away from your opponent, you must keep the ball moving and pass! the ball.”
However, De Jong’s performances were not the only thing that displeased Van der Vaart about Barca’s performance. The former player took issue with the corners that Xavi’s men often take.
“It’s something that frustrates me. They take a corner for Lamine Yamal, Frenkie de Jong or Pedri and then cross from that position or change direction the other way. In the end, it’s a dangerous play that ends up being harmless,” he added.