Dutch great Van Basten left red-faced after Nazi quip

Former Dutch football great Marco van Basten has apologized after he was heard using a Nazi greeting to ridicule a Dutch television journalist's German during an interview. Van Basten, 55, who is regarded as one of game's best ever strikers, made comment on Fox Sports pay-to-view channel after an interview ahead of Eredivisie clash between Ajax and Heracles on Saturday. His words could be heard in studio moments after TV presenter Hans Kraay's interview in German with Heracles' German manr Frank Wormuth.

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"t too pretty, sieg heil, pfannkuchen (pancake)," Van Basten said, using Nazi German greeting during World War II.

His words unleased a Twitter storm and during half-time in match former Ajax and Ac Milan forward made his excuses for what he termed an "ill-placed joke".

"It was t my intention at all to shock people. I only wanted to 'explain' Hans' German," a contrite Van Basten said.

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But Van Basten's misplaced comment left many fuming, t only because of what he said but also about its timing. Football clubs in Nerlands are taking active measures to fight racism following an incident last weekend when racist chants caused a second division match to be halted. referee briefly suspended Sunday's game between Excelsior Rotterdam and Den Bosch and Excelsior winger Ahmad Mendes Moreira walked off pitch.

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Van Basten Moreira said he heard monkey ises and songs about "Black Pete", a traditional Dutch Christmas-time character that appears in blackface and attracts accusations of racist stereotyping, Dutch media reported. Fox Sports also apologised for Van Basten's comments, daily Algemeen Dagblad reported. "His comments were inappropriate. t only for today, but for every day," a spokesman told paper. Ajax beat Heracles 4-1 after goals among ors by Quincy Promes and Zakaria Labyad. 

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