Since retiring from the game, former Real Madrid, HSV, Tottenham and Dutch national team star Rafael van der Vaart has become particularly outspoken. His latest ‘episode’ came after Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois criticised UEFA for hosting a Nations League third-place match.Well, van der Vaart does not see eye-to-eye with former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea shot stopper – footballer-turned-pundit saw Courtois’ speech as whining and gave his view on the accusations towards UEFA during an appearance on Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS).Van der Vaart to NOS on Courtois’ comments: “I think it’s silly. Then you we have six months of vacation. You only play, a club pays you a lot of money. Of course, the schedule is very busy, but we have all gone through that.” pic.twitter.com/I8bT44LZZl— Scoreboard Digest (@scoreboarddg) October 12, 2021 ‘I think it’s silly,’ Van der Vaart said via Voetbalmagazine. ‘You then have six months of vacation. You only play football, a club pays you a lot of money… of course the match schedule is very busy, but we have all been through that. ‘Competitions are the most fun there is. They are whining.’ van der Vaart said after Holland vs Gibraltar match.In the build-up to the third-placed play-off – which Belgium lost, Courtois couldn’t keep it to himself.’This game is just a money game and we have to be honest about it,’ said Courtois. ‘We just play it because for UEFA it’s extra money.”In the end, top players will get injured and injured and injured. We are not robots. It’s just more and more games and less rest for us. ‘Next year we have a World Cup in November, we have to play until the latter stages of June again. We will get injured. Nobody cares about the players any more. If we never say anything it will be always the same.’Brilliant interview @thibautcourtois everything he says is right, especially about 3rd place play offs in tournaments, an absolute waste of time those games. https://t.co/iKZnh3GTec— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) October 11, 2021 However, van der Vaart believes that a goalkeeper of all players cannot really address to tiredness as ‘it’s standing there a bit’ during matches.Last season, Courtois played 61 times in 285 days. Since this season started in mid-August, the 29-year-old has made 14 appearances for club and country.Courtois likened players to ‘robots’ in the current system and is openly against new UEFA competitions such as the Nations League and Europa Conference League, and FIFA’s proposals for the World Cup and Euros to be held every two years rather than every four.When it comes to money – Courtois is reported to earn in the region of 370,000 USD a week having signed a new deal with Real Madrid back in August which should last until 2026.
