RVP asked to patch things up with van Hooijdonk
New Holland coach Guus Hiddink had asked for captain Robin van Persie to work out his differences with Pierre van Hooijdonk.
Van Hooijdonk, who won 46 caps for Holland from 1994-2004 and was named in Hiddink’s new coaching team on Friday, slated Van Persie last month ahead of the World Cup third place play-off clash against hosts Brazil, claiming the player should have been dropped from the team for a lack of commitment.
But the Manchester United striker delivered the perfect response by scoring in the 3-0 win as Louis van Gaal’s side claimed bronze medals and he later hit back at his former Feyenoord team-mate saying he should “stick to golf”.
Van Persie was quoted as saying: “Van Hooijdonk needs to stop. He should stick to playing golf or do something else. Everybody is proud of the team but (Van Hooijdonk) creates panic without arguments. He does not speak with a good heart.”
But Oranje boss Hiddink, who on Friday also appointed Ruud van Nistelrooy as one of his assistant coaches alongside Danny Blind for his second stint at the helm, told The Sun: “There’s going to be a discussion between Van Hooijdonk and Van Persie.
“They should sit down together like grown men, bang their heads together and speak their minds as guys should. I plan to schedule a meeting between them soon.
“I’m happy Van Hooijdonk will be working with the under-21s. He’s the type of player up-and-coming youngsters can use as an example. There is something from the past between him and me – and everyone who knows me realises that I prefer to deal with secret matters openly.
“We have to sit down like big boys and clear them out of the way. I want to do that soon.
“Van Persie is captain of the team at the moment and I see no reason to change that even though it is too soon for me to say that for definite.”
