Johan Cruyff has urged Netherlands midfielder Nigel de Jong to clean up his game after a leg-breaking tackle so severe that he was omitted from the national squad.
The former Netherlands great endorsed coach Bert van Marwijk's to drop De Jong after his fierce challenge on Hatem Ben Arfa broke the forward's tibia and fibula during an English Premier League match between De Jong's Manchester City and Newcastle.
''He's crossed the line two or three times now,'' Cruyff said Tuesday. ''He needs to understand he is an example to all the young players and I think it is a very good decision.''
FIFA warned players to pull back from dangerous tackles before and during this year's World Cup, but serious fouls are still widespread.
De Jong injured American midfielder Stuart Holden this year and referee Howard Webb has said he would have sent off De Jong in the World Cup final had he seen his chest-high foul on Spain's Xabi Alonso.
But De Jong isn't the only guilty one.
Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Karl Henry apologized to his own teammates and fans for a sliding tackle at the weekend that sent Wigan's Jordi Gomez into a mid air cartwheel and earned him an 11th-minute red card.
Gomez was lucky to avoid serious injury and the 10-man Wolves lost 2-0 to its fellow relegation rival.
At least Henry apologized for the offense.
''Having watched it again, I can see that it looks horrific and realize that it was a deserved red card,'' Henry said. ''I'm desperately disappointed. If I could go back and rerun it all again I wouldn't make the challenge and I would have stayed on my feet.''
Others are doing the explaining for De Jong, who was already known for his combative play after breaking Holden's leg in a March international and then stamping Alonso's chest in football's most-watched match.
''It's very unfortunate that he has broken the leg of an opponent twice in six months,'' said Netherlands captain Mark Van Bommel, himself criticized for his physicality at the World Cup. ''Thanks to Nigel we reached the final of the World Cup. And now I hear people calling him a criminal. What a nonsense.
''Nigel should not change his game, we need him as he is. But maybe he should occasionally go into a tackle slightly differently.''
Newcastle said Tuesday it had written to the English Football Association to protest against De Jong's challenge, but Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini isn't asking his midfielder to change.
''Whilst he is naturally competitive, Nigel is first and foremost a great player as well as being honest and loyal and I support him wholeheartedly,'' Mancini said.
De Jong injured Ben Arfa with a so-called scissor tackle, taking out his opponent with the trailing leg. It is hard for referees to spot and is often missed.
In De Jong's case, the referee saw the tackle but did not consider it a foul, and because English Premier League rules state that further action can only be taken if an offense is not spotted by match officials, the City midfielder is set to escape punishment for his leg-breaker.
