Inside bitter Netherlands feud as Man Utd icon ranted ‘nonsense’ as team-mates clashed
Ahead of his final game for the Netherlands, one of the world’s best midfielders compiled his ultimate starting XI of former team-mates – but left out one huge name.
Inter Milan icon Wesley Sneijder, who to this day has won more Oranje caps than any other player in history – 134 – chose a breathtaking forward trio of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Samuel Eto’o and Arjen Robben when asked to select his dream team in 2018. But one glaring omission made even neutral fans’ jaws drop – the Netherlands’ top goalscorer of all time – Manchester United and Arsenal legend Robin van Persie.
But why was his countryman who banged in 50 goals for the Clockwork Orange excluded from the line-up? Fans and pundits have speculated that a lasting feud between the two began over a disagreement over who should take a free kick at Euro 2008. However, the actual trigger seems to have been a few days prior, when the striker seemingly left a lasting impression on Sneijder with a late tackle in training. And the fallout simmered for years afterwards.
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Sneijder, now 42, was apparently far from pleased by the tackle, even going as far as to publicise the incident on his website, drawing the attention of the Dutch press.
The tension escalated further during the Netherlands’ 3-1 quarter-final loss to Russia. With the Oranje trailing 1-0, they were awarded a free-kick in a threatening position.
Despite Sneijder being the team’s set-piece specialist, Van Persie took control of the ball, attempted the kick and missed. Fast forward four months and an irate Sneijder reignited the dispute in a Dutch newspaper.
He claimed Van Persie had “broken agreements”, elaborating: “From the first practice game, I’ve been designated as the man who takes free-kicks – no-one else is supposed to touch the ball.”
In response, speaking to another publication, Van Persie retorted: “I expected more class from Wesley.”
He further dismissed the claim, saying: “Besides, it’s absolute nonsense that he’s the only one who can take free-kicks. You can ask the coach.”
The Dutch striker expressed his annoyance at Sneijder for bringing their private disagreement into the public domain, signalling his unwillingness to engage with him privately any longer after the Netherlands were dumped out of the tournament.
“I’m flabbergasted by the way Wesley has acted,” he said. “Must the whole country take part in a meeting between Sneijder and Van Persie?”
By 2013, it seemed that Sneijder had let bygones be bygones. In that year’s Ballon d’Or, he voted for Van Persie, who at the time was the national team’s captain and won the Premier League with Manchester United.
But five years after that moment, his decision to select Ibrahimovic over Van Persie for his best starting XI implied there may still be some lingering resentment from their spat a decade prior.
When asked at the time why he chose the Swede over his compatriot, Sneijder replied that he was “personally good with him”.
Sneijder’s ultimate team featured Julio Cesar, Christian Chivu, Sergio Ramos, Javier Zanetti, Marcelo, Clarence Seedorf, Guti, Dejan Stankovic, Samuel Eto’o, Arjen Robben and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Van Persie, now 42, has not yet declared his own best XI. It remains to be seen if Sneijder will be included.
These days, both players lead very different lives. Since hanging up his boots in 2017, Van Persie went into football management, firstly taking charge of Eredivisie side Heerenveen in 2024 before becoming Feyenoord coach in February 2025.
He got off to a great start, turning their season around, finishing third and qualifying for the Champions League qualifiers.
However, after failing to make it through to the group stage and enduring a run of defeats in league and cup, he was sacked at the end of his second campaign in charge, despite the club finishing second in the league.
Sneijder, meanwhile, turned to alcohol after he called time on his career in 2019 – but not in the way you think. He brews his own line of gin, Swique, and runs the business with Claudia Sneijder, his late mother’s sister-in-law.
