Sneijder and Van Persie hit out at Ref Webb

zocoss SG

Anger: Wesley Sneijder, Eljero Elia and Joris Mathijsen argue with Howard Webb during the World Cup final

Anger: Wesley Sneijder, Eljero Elia and Joris Mathijsen argue with Howard Webb during the World Cup final

Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie lashed out at referee Howard Webb for 'robbing' Holland's dream of becoming world champions.

The pair led a chorus of Dutch criticism against the English official following Spain's win in the World Cup final on Sunday, achieved through a late goal by Andres Iniesta that was hotly disputed.

Holland feel agrieved by what they see as at least three mistakes by Webb and his assistants in the run-up to the extra-time winner.

'He has robbed us,' said Sneijder, who was denied the accolade of adding football's greatest prize to medals this season for winning the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup with Inter Milan.

'This really is a disgrace to football. It really shouldn't have happened.

'First I shot a free kick that hit the wall and then the Spanish keeper touched it before going behind. What does the referee do? The whistle was not for a corner.

Seeing red: Webb sends off John Heitinga

'In the following attack, Iniesta is at first offside. Webb doesn't whistle and then Iniesta gets the ball and scores.

'And earlier there was a moment with Iniesta, he kicked Van Bommel when the ball was not there. The fourth official saw the moment and he said, "Yeah, I saw it". I think if you saw it it's a red card.'

'That's three incidents in a short space of time. It is a scandal it has to end this way.

'I won three titles (this season) and now I lost tonight the fourth title. 'It's a pity but I think we can be proud of it, the whole country.'

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Arsenal striker Van Persie - who will soon come face-to-face with Webb again in the Premier League - was equally scathing about an official who had earlier sent off Holland's Johnny Heitinga for a second bookable offence, but spared Iniesta the same punishment.

'What was this man doing,' said the striker of Webb. 'He made three big errors in extra time of a World Cup final. Believe me, this really hurts.

'Even after Heitinga's red card I still felt we could be world champions. With penalty kicks we'd at least have a 50 per cent chance.

'He whistled four minutes from time, but not for a corner, and later overlooks Iniesta being in an offside position.

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'Iniesta should not have been on the pitch because he kicked Van Bommel. He also should have shown (Carles) Puyol a second yellow card for trying to knock down (Arjen) Robben.

'I don't say it's only down to the referee. We missed a very good chance. But the referee has been decisive.

'Perhaps it was because Spain were wronged in a group match against Switzerland (which Webb refereed)? Let me say nothing.'

zocoss SG

• Holland winger hits out at referee Howard Webb
• Robben says Webb was not 'world class'

The Spanish defender Carles Puyol should have been the first player to be sent off by the referee Howard Webb, according to Arjen Robben after his Holland side lost the World Cup final 1-0 against Spain.

Puyol, already booked in the first half, committed a foul on the Dutch winger with 10 minutes remaining when he sped past him but Robben stayed on his feet and was denied by goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

"When I got my second chance the referee should have given us a free kick and Puyol a second yellow card," Robben said. "He gave the advantage but there was none as I could hardly move and the goalkeeper was too close already."

After beating Brazil in the quarter-final, Robben was widely criticised for diving but in the final he stood firm instead of making clear to the referee that he had been fouled.

"As a player you always want to go on and especially 10 minutes before time in a World Cup final when you are heading towards the goal," he added.

The Dutch said they were less than impressed with the referee's performance during the final. Webb showed eight Holland players yellow cards and sent off their defender John Heitinga in the first half of extra time.

"When you play a World Cup final you need also a world class referee and – I have to be careful what I say – this was not the case for this match," Robben said.

However, the winger was lucky himself not to be dismissed after deliberately playing on after the whistle had blown for an infringement. It would have been his second yellow card but Webb simply admonished him.

Webb, however, was today hailed for his performance by his wife, Kay. She said she thought the 38-year-old Yorkshireman was "brilliant" and added: "I have every confidence in him."

The Holland captain, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, chose not to criticise Webb and said that his players should be proud of what they achieved at the World Cup.

Van Bronckhorst, the former Arsenal, Rangers and Barcelona defender, was playing his final game for his country before joining the coaching staff at Feyenoord. "To give up a goal four minutes from the end means we were so close but still so far away," said the 35-year-old. "But I'm glad that I achieved this [playing in a World Cup final] but the disappointment at the way the tournament ended makes it difficult right now. But we can be proud of what we have done.

"If we had scored first it could have been a different ending. You don't get many chances against Spain and it was disappointing not to have scored from at least one of the two chances we had."

dragg SG

its true.

iniesta should have been sent off for hitting van vommel.

CKeer SG

its true.

iniesta should have been sent off for hitting van vommel.

Holland was playing rough tactics throughout the game and a few Spainish players fell into their trap and committing rash acts.

And speaking of which, how come these Dutch players die die never mention De Jong's X-Rated Challenge on Xabi Alonso? That is a confirm red card with boot that high and studs showing.

stellazio SG

Van Bommel should have been sent off at least once in this world cup, not just this final.

zocoss SG

De Jong's tackle may be bad but i think it was still within a challenged that it happened and it looked a lot worse than it actually was as Alonso was still able to get up within a minute or two and continue didn't he?

Iniesta's was just pure retaliation after he committed a foul... All I am saying is, if Beck's soft back kick was seen as a retaliation and he got sent off just for that, then Iniesta's was definitely far worse...

βέτά SG

His 3 biggest mistake was not giving 3 red cards to the Dutch players in the first 90 mins of the game.

stellazio SG

Iniesta one was the shoulder to shoulder shove against Van Bommel is it?

zocoss SG

No, he just simply kicked Van Bommel when the ball was not even within their playing area... lol...