Mark van Bommel celebrates his son's debut under Xavi for Netherlands
Mark van Bommel, who recently led the Belgian national team to a 0‑2 victory over Italy, celebrated in full at the debut of his 22‑year‑old son Ruben for the Netherlands. The young PSV striker came on in the closing stages against Germany and provided an assist for Cody Gakpo's equaliser to make it 1‑1.
Ruben entered the field in the final phase of the match and immediately delivered a brilliant cross that allowed Cody Gakpo to put the ball in the net, bringing the score to 1‑1.
‘It was a joy as a father,’ said Van Bommel senior to the Algemeen Dagblad, while admitting that he followed the debut via a phone call with much of the staff. ‘Although I would have liked to be in the stadium,’ he added.
Xavi and the bond with Van Bommel
Xavi Hernández, the current head coach of the Netherlands, is a former teammate of Van Bommel from their time at FC Barcelona. ‘Xavi is a fantastic guy. I played with him and he was the coach when I faced Barça with Antwerp in the Champions League,’ Van Bommel explained.
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The day after the Dutch international, Van Bommel led the Belgian squad to a convincing 0‑2 win over Italy, with goals from Godts and Lukebakio. ‘That we also beat Italy afterwards was a nice finish to two wonderful days,’ he laughed.
For the upcoming Nations League clash against France, which takes place on Monday evening in Tubeke, Van Bommel is preparing for a confrontation with Zinedine Zidane, recently appointed as head coach of Les Bleus. ‘He has been an exceptional footballer; if a passing move is named after you, then you haven’t done badly,’ he noted.
Family legacy at the Netherlands
The Van Bommel family now has three generations in the Dutch national team. Grandfather Bert van Marwijk earned one cap in 1975 against Yugoslavia, while his father‑in‑law Mark played 79 times for the Netherlands. ‘It would be nice if Ruben surpasses Bert in terms of internationals,’ said Van Bommel, emphasizing the emotional moment of his father‑in‑law.
Van Bommel comes close to a historic feat with a win in Italy
With the support of both father and grandfather, Ruben hopes to turn his debut into a regular spot, while Van Bommel focuses on a successful campaign with Belgium. ‘Now let’s see if we can both keep it going,’ he concluded with a laugh.