Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy believes he was dropped from the Dutch squad by coach Marco van Basten after the World Cup for non-footballing reasons.
”I have to deal with this situation. It’s Van Basten’s vision,” Van Nistelrooy said in an interview with Dutch weekly magazine, Sportweek.
”It is a shame that the coach is not led only by the footballing qualities of players but also other things. I call it his ‘I-like-you level’.
”If you don’t want certain personalities in the squad, just say it. He always only says it has to do with footballing qualities, but that is not a plausible explanation,” the former Manchester United player added.
Van Nistelrooy, who has scored 28 times in 54 appearances for The Netherlands, started the three World Cup group matches, scoring against the Ivorians, but was left on the bench for the second-round defeat to Portugal.
”Van Basten told me that I played three bad matches in the group stage,” Van Nistelrooy said.
”I played poorly against Serbia, but if you judge my game against Cote d’Ivoire as insufficient then it might be better if we don’t work together” he added.
”I will never resign from the Dutch team but now I am talking about it in the past tense which is strange.
”I am still convinced that I belong in the team and the crowd has the right to see the best players of the country.”
Van Basten will name his squad for the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Bulgaria on October 7 and Albania four days later on Friday. — Reuters