Soccer-Spain hit back after Van der Vaart's "horrible" taunt

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - UEFA Nations League - League A - Group 1 - Netherlands v Italy - Johan Cruijff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands - September 7, 2020 Former Netherlands player Rafael van der Vaart in the stands before the match REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain have pledged to store former Netherlands player Rafael van der Vaart's scathing assessment about their shaky start in Euro 2020 in their memory banks should they come up against the Dutch later in the tournament.

Van der Vaart, a pundit for broadcaster NOS during the tournament, said Spain's performances so far have been "horrible" and they "only know how to pass the ball from one side to the other" after the 2008 and 2012 champions only managed to draw their first two games against Poland and Sweden.