Former Dutch football star Marco van Basten apologises for saying 'sieg heil' during live television show

The Hague: Retired Dutch football star Marco van Basten has apologized for saying “sieg heil” during a live television show after a German coach was interviewed.

Van Basten, working as an analyst for Fox Sports, was off-camera Saturday when he used the German phrase for “hail victory” that became notorious for its use at Nazi rallies.

Later in the show, Van Basten said: “It was not my intention to shock people. I apologize.”

Van Basten’s comment came on a weekend during which Dutch soccer clubs were putting extra emphasis on fighting racism by standing still for a minute at the start of matches.

Last weekend a second division match between Den Bosch and Excelsior Rotterdam was briefly halted by the referee following racist chants directed at a black player.