THE SPORTSMISTAKES RECORD

Frank Rijkaard Spitting Incident

1990 • Soccer • Player Mistake • Misconduct
Frank Rijkaard Spitting Incident — SportsMistakes artwork

THE STORY

During the 1990 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal between the Netherlands and West Germany, Dutch midfielder Frank Rijkaard was booked for a foul on German forward Rudi Völler. While setting up the free kick, Rijkaard spat in Völler's hair, leading to Völler receiving a yellow card after protesting. Both players were sent off after another confrontation, and Rijkaard spat in Völler's hair a second time as they left the field. West Germany won the match 2–1.

TEAMS / PEOPLE: Netherlands, Germany, Frank Rijkaard

WHY IT MATTERS

This incident remains one of the most infamous in World Cup history, highlighting the intense rivalry between the Netherlands and West Germany. It also led to Rijkaard's nickname 'Lama' in the German press. (nos.nl)

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