Nigel de Jong’s kick to the chest of Xabi Alonso could have caused Xabi Alonso some major injuries as he still fears that he may have a broken rib and Alonso is still upset with De Jong as he went on to state that it the worst tackle he has ever been on the wrong end of.
Although De Jong was only shown a yellow card for his kick, De Jong knows he was lucky not to have received a red-card and even went on to state how he was fortunate not to be sent off by Howard Webb following the tackle.
Now days after Spain have won the World Cup, Xabi Alonso is still upset with the challenge and can possibly be suffering from a broken rib,
“It was one of the worst tackles I have ever suffered.” Xabi went on to say.
“It was a tight game, there was respect from both sides and they had to close us down. But that challenge was really hard. It was one of the most painful tackles in my life and it was hard to play on. I have probably broken a rib, although I am not too worried about that.”
Although Netherlands were cut a big break with Webb just pulling out a yellow card for the challenge, Spain were still able to come out with the win and went on to enjoy their first ever World Cup success.
With the team still celebrating their success, Xabi believes that the mentality of club will there be there in the upcoming years and is hopeful that many more big things may come.
“Right now is not the time to think about the future, but of course the basics are there with this team. The style is there, the mentality is there and the team spirit is there. If we keep working in this way many more big things may come.”
What do you think about the challenge? Think FIFA should punish De Jong for the kick? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below
