Former Dutch football star, Robin van Persie, revealed that his fellow retired coach Louis van Gaal slapped him during the Netherlands team match against Costa Rica, particularly in overtime after he refused to switch during the match that ended in a draw, before heading to penalty shootout, in the round Quarter-finals of the World Cup 2014.
The match ended in a 0-0 draw and the striker suffered a muscle strain after the first 10 minutes of extra time, which Van Gaal warned of, and the coach told him he would push a striker instead, but Van Persie refused because of his desire to take a penalty shootout.
Van Persie tells in comments reported by (Voetbal International) Dutch: “When the additional two periods ended, we gathered at the line, and suddenly he slapped me, then with his flat hand he patted me and angrily said to me:” Never do this again. “
Van Persie added that Van Gal then approached him and asked him not to waste the penalty shoot-out, telling him: “You have to forget about it now, and make sure the penalty is not wasted.”
Van Persie did not disappoint Van Gahl and actually managed to score in the net of the Real Madrid goalkeeper later, Keylor Navas, to score the first kick of the mills from the penalty shootout that ended 4-3 and led the Netherlands to the semi-finals of the World Cup before the loss against Argentina.
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