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Although there weren't many high-profile transfers in the player market this summer, one player's career move attracted significant attention. That player is Rafael van der Vaart's decision to move to a German team.
Unexpected choice from the Dutchman
Since his debut for the team at the age of 17, football experts and fans unanimously claimed that R. van der Vaart would become a great player. It was expected that the footballer would become not only a leader of his club, but also of the Dutch national team and perhaps the second Johan Cruyff.
Instead of joining one of Europe's elite clubs, such as Real Madrid, the 22-year-old player chose far from the strongest Hamburg team. Knowing this, a simple question arises - what happened to the young prodigy?
Two years ago, he was one of the most promising players not only in the Netherlands, but in all of Europe. However, R. van der Vaart debuted for his new club last Sunday, which was playing in the second round of the less prestigious Intertoto tournament. It is natural that for a player who was playing in the Champions League just a year ago, this is a sharp decline in his career.
Even football legends were surprised by the young player's decision
The decision that surprised all fans did not go unnoticed by football legends either. Former Dutch national team player Johan Cruyff also did not hide his amazement.
"I don't know what R. van der Vaart is doing in Hamburg," said J.Cruyff. "Two years ago, this wouldn't even be considered, which clearly means that things are not going well for him now."
One reason why the left-back left "Ajax", where he played, is the enormous pressure from the media. The local press constantly followed R. van der Vaart and his wife, former model Sylvie Meis, in an attempt to get intriguing facts about the couple's relationship. This did not go unnoticed by fans of other teams.
During league matches in the Netherlands, fans repeatedly insulted S. Meis with anti-Semitic chants, ridiculing her impeccable character. Once, in September, the referee even temporarily stopped the match with the "Den Haag" team due to offensive slogans. Later, this issue was discussed in the country's parliament.
Relationships with coaches - not the best
It is no secret that R. van der Vaart did not always get along well with the coaches at "Ajax". His relationships with Ronald Koeman and later with head coach Danny Blind were indeed complicated. This was another reason why the player did not hide his desire to move to another team this summer.
But even knowing this, the choice to play in a German club remains very strange. And the transfer fee - 5.5 million euros - is indeed somewhat reduced.
Yes, the player known as the "little angel" will certainly feel much calmer there. It is doubtful that the German media will be as actively interested in the Dutchman's personal life as it was in the Netherlands. And the German league, approaching the World Cup, will definitely attract more attention from both Germans and football fans from other European countries.
The Germans welcomed the Dutch national team player with open arms, but there are not many chances for him to stay there. Perhaps it will be "Hamburg" that will serve as the springboard to elevate R. van der Vaart among the best European players.
