Van der Vaart apologises for 'they all look alike' remark about Japan players on live TV

Rafael van der Vaart has apologised for saying Japan’s players ‘all look alike’ during live television coverage of the Netherlands versus Japan World Cup match, after the comment drew widespread criticism.

The former Real Madrid and Tottenham midfielder made the remark while analysing Micky van de Ven’s defensive positioning during the game. Criticising van de Ven for losing his marker, Van der Vaart said: “They do all look alike of course, perhaps he thought that,” before adding — into an awkward studio silence — “That’s a joke of course. I’m scared to say anything at all.”

In a subsequent statement, Van der Vaart acknowledged the reaction his words had provoked. “I understand that some people found my words hurtful. I sincerely regret that. If I have upset people because of this, I offer my apologies. That was never my intention,” the statement read.

He went on to address the interpretation of the comment directly. “I take the reactions that have arisen seriously and understand that words can be interpreted differently. Therefore, I think it is important to make it clear that there was no racist or discriminatory intent behind my statement.”

Van der Vaart concluded by expressing hope that his clarification would resolve the matter: “I hope this explanation provides more clarity about my intentions and the context in which the remark was made.”

The incident unfolded during analysis of a match that ended in a draw between the Netherlands and Japan. Van der Vaart had been walking through a specific defensive error by van de Ven — detailing how the Tottenham defender lost track of his man and left him free to attack the ball — when he made the aside that prompted the controversy.