Because of Nazi greeting, Van Basten deleted from FIFA20

The terrible derailment of Marco van Basten (55) has further consequences. Now “EA Sports” removed Hollands former striker star from the game “FIFA 20”.

What had happened? At the end of November, before the first division match, Ajax Amsterdam against Heracles Almelo, its German coach Frank Wormuth (59) was interviewed on television. Then the scandal: Shortly after the end of the interview, van Basten, as a TV expert in the studio, is heard saying the words “Sieg Heil” (victory intact).

Shortly afterwards, Fox Sports and the former world-class striker apologised for the Nazi vocabulary. “It wasn’t my intention to shock people,” said van Basten. He wanted to make fun of the reporter’s German. The joke was “out of place”.

Nevertheless, Fox Sports suspended the collaboration with van Basten for a week. His fee was donated to the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation (NIOD) to promote awareness and knowledge of the history of the Second World War.

And now the end for van Basten in the video game. “EA Sports” explains the decision as follows: “We are aware of the latest comments by Marco van Basten. We want our commitment to equality and diversity to be reflected throughout the game. Marco van Basten’s icon objects are therefore no longer available for the time being”.

Until now, players could get van Basten as an icon map from the FIFA Ultimate Team Packs. Whether the Dutchman will return to the game is not yet known.