Ask Barcelona fans what was the greatest thing Mark van Bommel ever did for the club and they will not all say – win the Champions League final in 2006.
Some will point instead to him giving an up-yours salute to Real Madrid supporters in the Santiago Bernabeu the following season.
He was by then wearing the colours of Bayern Munich and late in the game – a last-16 first leg match, with Madrid 3-1 up – he scored an important away goal and directed the abusive gesture at Madrid fans behind the north goal, not once but twice.
Mark van Bommel will return to the Nou Camp as PSV coach 12 years after the leaving club
Van Bommel is fondly remembered for abusive gesture to Real Madrid fans at Bayern Munich
It wasn’t acutally an up-yours two fingers. It was what the Spanish call ‘corte de manga’ (Sleeve cut) which involves putting one hand over the forearm and raising the fist.
The Spanish find it highly offensive, Uefa opened a disciplinary enquiry and Van Bommel half apologised saying he was just celebrating his goal.
Madrid wanted him banned for the return leg but he wasn’t and Bayern won 2-1 to knock Madrid out. Van Bommel had won favour with the Barcelona supporters who had seen him leave the club in the summer after just one season with them.
Van Bommel played an hour of the Champions League final against Arsenal in 2006
Van Bommel was only at Barcelona for one year before moving to Bayern Munich
The highlight of that one year at the Camp Nou was helping Barcelona win the Champions League. He started the final at the expense of Andres Iniesta who coach Frank Rijkaard felt was too young and maybe a little too soft to take on the physical might of Arsenal.
Rijkaard picked the Dutch destroyer, alongside Deco and the Brazilian Edmilson. Iniesta had to come on at the break because despite being down to 10 men Arsenal were a goal up.
He changed the game. Van Bommel was eventually substituted on the hour mark, replaced by Henrik Larsson who also changed the game and made sure Barça lifted the trophy.
Van Bommel and Iniesta’s paths would cross again in the 2010 World Cup final when Holland kicked Spain all around Soccer City in Johannesburg including one tackle on Iniesta from Van Bommel that went right through the back of Iniesta’s calves.
He became the enemy after kicking Andres Iniesta about during 2010 World Cup final
Iniesta said he went to far with dirty tackles but van Bommel refused to discuss it this week
Iniesta said after the game that Van Bommel had gone too far. Van Bommel was asked about that final and the Iniesta comments in his pre-match media appearance on Monday. He did not like the question.
‘You are asking me about a game in 2010. We are here to talk about a game in 2018,’ he fumed. He was a little warmer to other enquiries about his Barcelona memories and who Lionel Messi is the last survivor of the team he played in.
‘He debuted in 2005 and you could tell he was going to be a star,’ he said. ‘Some people from the offices of the club are still here. And I have been able to remind myself just how big and nice the stadium is.’
Van Bommel is now the PSV head coach in his first role in the top job after being an assistant
Van Bommel was happy to discuss Lionel Messi though and said his potential was clear in 2005
When he strolls out into the technical area tonight the reception will be mixed. Kicking Iniesta but also getting on the wrong side of Real Madrid earns you friends and enemies.
He will not care either way. He just wants to win tonight and he is confident that it is not beyond his team to cause a minor shock.
PSV have won all five of their league games so far this season scoring 21 goals and conceding only three. If Barcelona play as badly as they did for long parts of their narrow win over Real Sociedad on Saturday the Dutch have a chance.
Pull off a Champions League surprise and Van Bommel will be back firmly in everyone’s bad books at the Nou Camp once more.