John Heitinga 'wanted to attack' Howard Webb after controversial World Cup decision

Ex-Dutch international turned Liverpool assistant coach John Heitinga wanted to attack referee Howard Webb for sending him off in the 2010 World Cup final against Spain .

In arguably the dirtiest final of all time, Heitinga, who was confirmed as the latest addition to Arne Slot's backroom staff ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League season, and his Netherlands team-mates proceeded to try and kick Spain off the pitch in South Africa.

Bert van Marwijk's Netherlands side picked up nine yellow cards, with one of those a second booking for Heitinga, which saw him sent off in extra-time with the game still 0-0. Webb dished out five yellows to Spain as well, meaning there were a total of 14 cautions and a sending off.

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In the 109th minute, Heitinga received a second yellow for preventing Andres Iniesta from running through on goal, with Webb sending him off. And following the sending off, Spain went and scored shortly after with Iniesta netting in the 116th minute to secure Vicente del Bosque's side World Cup glory.

However, the former Everton defender who will be on the touchline this season next to Slot, felt aggrieved over a decade later by Webb's decision to send him off with a second booking. Speaking to Ladbrokes back in 2022, Heitinga said: "I was full of emotion in that moment - and walking off that pitch, it just felt like such a long walk. I felt lonely. In my eyes, it was an unfair decision; it was very smart from Andres Iniesta for my second booking.

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He added: "After the match, I was still upset. I look back now and I'm glad our manager [Bert van Marwijk] grabbed hold of me, because I wanted to attack Howard Webb. In my eyes, it was an unfair decision he made.

"There's a key moment in extra-time and it comes just before Spain score the winning goal. Wesley Sneijder takes a free-kick which deflects off the wall and out for what should have been a corner.

"The officials decided it was a goal kick, and Spain scored in that move... At least if that would have been rightly awarded, we could have killed another 45 seconds or so; and what we can say for sure is that Spain wouldn't have scored the goal."