Mark Van Bommel

FRANKFURT — Bayern Munich captain Mark van Bommel says the rift between striker Luca Toni and coach Louis van Gaal started when the Italian fell asleep at the table during a team lunch on the Dutchman’s second day on the job.

Van Bommel said Van Gaal was very angry and immediately called Toni to his office. Toni left Bayern in midseason, saying he could not work with Van Gaal. Toni went to AS Roma on loan and still has another season on his contract with Bayern.

“It was not good that, on the second day, Luca Toni sat so casually, half lying on the table. And then his eyes closed. He fell asleep,” Van Bommel said in describing the incident in Wednesday’s edition of Sport Bild magazine. “Normally, the team would take side with the player. But in this case no one supported him.”

Mark Van Bommel
Mark Van Bommel
Mark Van BommelThe Holland coach, Bert van Marwijk, has leapt to the defence of his midfield enforcer Mark van Bommel.

After falling out with the former coach Marco van Basten, Van Bommel was ignored by the Oranje for two years before accepting the request of his father-in-law to come back into the Dutch fold.

The close family tie with Van Marwijk has proved helpful to Holland's World Cup bid and, as they try to find a way of stopping Spain from dominating possession in Sunday's final at Soccer City, many see Van Bommel as the ideal weapon.

Yet the 33-year-old has also developed an unwanted reputation. A number of dubious challenges may have gone unnoticed by the referees, but not the press, opponents and spectators.
Mark Van Bommel
Mark Van Bommel
Mark Van Bommel
Mark Van Bommel
His challenge on Walter Gargano immediately before Giovanni van Bronckhorst brilliantly put Holland ahead in their semi-final with Uruguay on Tuesday was particularly ugly. With Xavi and Andrés Iniesta threatening to dictate the game this weekend, Van Bommel is going to be needed.

And Van Marwijk insists his reputation is unjust. "I don't agree with what people are saying," said the Dutch coach. "The yellow card on Tuesday was his first in the entire competition. He has shown a lot of discipline in his play."

Van Bommel, unsurprisingly, is feted in Holland, to the extent that he has been tipped as the next Dutch captain given that Van Bronckhorst will retire after Sunday's game. However, it seems that the Bayern Munich midfielder is not interested in the job. "I don't want to be the captain," he said. "I didn't make any international appearances for two years and other players deserve it more."