Wesley Sneijder won almost everything in football, but if there is a thorn that remains in his side, it is the World Cup. Under Bert van Marwijk, the Netherlands matched Spain at 0-0 until four minutes from the end of extra-time, and could have won it too. After the match, one of La Roja was there to provide some solace for him.
Speaking to Relevo, Sneijder has revealed that Paris Saint-Germain defender Sergio Ramos is the first thing that comes to mind for him when he thinks of that final.
“Some were calm, they had a great team. Losing a game like that, three minutes before penalties, was very hard.”
“Sergio Ramos, when his entire team was celebrating, he came with me to my locker room. He sat next to me on the floor and had a beer with me. He stayed with me for almost 45 minutes and I never forget that.”
“We talked about everything, he knew how sad I felt at that moment. When they ask me about this World Cup, it’s the first thing I remember.”
It is certainly a scene that speaks highly of Ramos’ character.
The pair shared a dressing room at Real Madrid between 2007 and 2009, as was the case with Arjen Robben. Sneijder goes on to reveal that Iker Casillas reminds him of the final in a slightly less heart-warming fashion.
“When I saw him two weeks ago at The Best gala, he keeps reminding me of it… He looks at his toe, with which he made the save… I can’t say anything, it still hurts a lot.”
The toe in question might be the most famous in Spain. Casillas’ save against Robben is seen by many as decisive moment for the Netherlands, where they could have sealed their first World Cup.
