Van Marwijk unhappy with De Jong

04 October 2010 13:01

Holland coach Bert van Marwijk has criticised Nigel de Jong for the reckless tackle which broke Hatem Ben Arfa's leg and plans to speak with the Manchester City midfielder over the "wild and unnecessary" challenge.

The Frenchman, on loan at Newcastle from Marseille, was on the wrong end of a rash tackle from the Holland international after only five minutes at Eastlands and left the field on a stretcher, requiring oxygen to ease his discomfort.

"I've seen the pictures back," Van Marwijk said in the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. "It was a wild and unnecessary offence. He went in much too hard."

The Magpies on Sunday night confirmed the injury to be a broken tibia and fibula of Ben Arfa's left leg.

Van Marwijk continued: "It is unfortunate, especially since he does not need to do it.

"The funny thing is that the referee did not even show a yellow card for it. Apparently, there are other standards.

"But I have a problem with the way Nigel needlessly looks to push the limit. I am going to speak to him."

It is not the first time the 25-year-old has come under the microscope for his aggressive play, having caused Bolton's United States midfielder Stuart Holden a fractured right fibula on international duty in March and then got away with a chest-high challenge on Spain's Xabi Alonso in the World Cup final.

De Jong was last week named in Van Marwijk's Oranje squad for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers against Moldova and Sweden.

The World Cup runners-up, who picked up six points from their opening two Group E qualifiers against San Marino and Finland last month, take on Moldova in Chisinau on October 8 and Sweden four days later at the Amsterdam ArenA.

Source: PA