Brazil may be the last chance for Van Persie – who became an icon at Arsenal before his move to Manchester in 2012 – to claim a title on the international stage. PHOTO: AFP
Dutch ace Robin Van Persie is counting on the World Cup to act as a cure for a ‘complicated’ season at Manchester United.
In his first season at United under Alex Ferguson, Van Persie scored 26 league goals as the team secured the English Premier League title.
However, the second season was a disaster as Britain’s wealthiest club slumped to their lowest finish since 1990 and new manager David Moyes lasted only 10 months.
“For the first time in my professional career I finished a season without qualifying for a European competition,” said the 30-year-old striker.
“It was a complicated season. Nothing worked for us.”
Nevertheless, his reputation is already secure in England, where he is the 10th highest scorer in Premier League history with 134 goals.
As one of the most feared strikers in the world – he was the top scorer of any European nation in World Cup qualifying with 11 goals – he has become the centre-piece of the Dutch team.
Van Persie has 42 goals from 83 international matches, but while he has regularly shone in friendlies and qualifying for the big tournaments, he has yet to make his mark on a World Cup or European Championship finals.
He scored just once, against Cameroon, during the group stage at the 2010 World Cup, and also notched a solitary goal at Euro 2012. He has never scored in the knockout stage of a major tournament.
Ribery says this is his last World Cup
France star Franck Ribery declared on Wednesday that the 2014 World Cup finals would be his last.
Ribery, 31, who burst on to the international scene at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, told broadcaster RTL, “This will be my final World Cup.”
“We have to go there to achieve something, to try to win the World Cup, quite simply.”
Protests Anti-World Cup demonstrations stepped up
Demonstrators angry with the billions being spent on Brazil’s hosting the World Cup burst into the hall where the tournament trophy was on display.
The trophy is on a tour around the host country ahead of football’s main event, set to open June 12 and run through July 13.
Protestors hurled rocks and chunks of wood at the historic building in Belem, where the trophy was on display, according to O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper.
Organisers called off the viewing and whisked out the golden trophy, without further incident, the daily said.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2014.
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