Former Football Star Rafael van der Vaart Reacts Strongly to Ronald Koeman's Choice: 'Sober or Drunk, I'd Say the Same'

For months, virtually every football fan in the Netherlands clamored for Til's call-up, but Van der Vaart was never a fan of the PSV player from the outset. A few months ago, he stated: 'In my day, it was unthinkable; players like that wouldn't even get a sniff.' He later added that 'Guus Til would even be laughed at during a World Cup.' Sneijder couldn't resist a jab. "Was that sober or drunk?" quipped the Dutch record international, directing his remark at Van der Vaart.

Van der Vaart took it in stride. "I was about to say: sober or drunk, I would have said exactly the same thing," the former Real Madrid and Ajax midfielder retorted sharply. "No, what Til has achieved is incredibly impressive. For PSV, it's fantastic, but in the Dutch national team... As a number ten for Oranje, much more is required than occasionally luckily hitting the ball. In my opinion, he doesn't command much respect."

According to the former international, it would be more logical to bring along a talent like Kees Smit. "In the Netherlands, we see him as the biggest talent, so you should let him get a taste of it during such a tournament. People will say: the World Cup isn't for 'getting a taste,' but if you can bring 26 players... Then there's definitely room for one to get a sniff. We'll benefit from that in two and four years," Van der Vaart asserted.

Sneijder fully agreed with his fellow pundit. "I find it strange that he was called up as a midfielder, because he had a top season primarily as a striker. I would have preferred to see Smit," Sneijder opined. "If you look at all the names around him, when would be the ideal opportunity to bring Til on? If that chance does come, I'd rather see Smit brought in."

Van der Vaart found it a particularly surprising choice. "Especially when you consider how Koeman spoke about him. Then I thought: he's definitely taking Smit. Guus Til is a man after my own heart with his interviews, and I wish him all the best. However, purely looking at quality, he's not my type of player, and I find it quite odd that such a guy is included," the former midfielder concluded on the topic.

The World Cup kicks off on Thursday, June 11, but for Ronald Koeman and Oranje, the tournament only begins three days later. On June 14, the Netherlands will face Japan. Subsequent matches include Sweden (June 20) and Tunisia (June 26).