The Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal has finally shut down rumors that his team captain Robin van Persie will be absent in what seemed to be the only obstacle for them to play against Germany for the World Cup championship. Van Gaal reportedly confirmed during a pre-match conference that the Manchester United center-forward will be playing in the team's tournament final against Argentina, which is contrary to reports that the striker will be sitting out in the upcoming match due to a stomach bug, the Guardian reported.
The Dutch coach said, "He had some stomach problems, some intestinal problems, so it's better not to train then because you make it worse. Van Persie is our captain. So in that capacity alone he is very important. In principle my captain will always play but they have to be in good shape."
Van Persie is not the only player who has some health issues. The same bug has also affected defender Daryl Janmaat.
Van Persie, on the other hand, echoed his coach's views. "It's a dream to grab hold of that cup. Playing against Argentina is not a dream. It doesn't interest me at all. We just have to win."
Meanwhile it was interesting how van Persie would react once he sees Turkish official Cuneyt Cakir, who will be officiating the match, the Daily Mail said. The British tabloid recalled that van Persie had criticized the referee around this time last year during the latter's red card call against his Manchester United teammate Nani in a Champions League, which eventually led to their defeat to Real Madrid.
After the game, van Persie said of Cakir, "I didn't understand before the match that this man would be the referee, an unknown referee who hasn't been in charge of a big game for months."
Cakir, nonetheless, has been trusted by FIFA to officiate two games in the tournament so far. He took charge during Brazil's goalless Group A match against Mexico and also officiated Algeria's 1-1 draw against the Russians. Cakir has issued a total of nine yellow cards in the two World Cup matches and has yet to issue a red card to a player in the tournament.
