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Dutch coach confirms Depay and Van Persie training ground row

Depay and Van Persie together at training last last year's World Cup
Depay and Van Persie together at training last last year's World Cup

Netherlands manager Danny Blind has played down a training ground bust-up between Memphis Depay and Robin van Persie.

Depay joined Manchester United just as Van Persie left to join Fernerbache earlier this year and the two went head-to-head at a recent Holland training session.

Reports surfaced of a bust-up occurring between the pair prior to Saturday's 2-1 victory over Kazakhstan.

And on Monday Dutch national team boss Danny Blind confirmed there had been an incident but was keen to play it down.

"There are sometimes situations in training where players think differently,” he explained.

"Then you talk about it. That's what happened and then it's over."

Blind, whose son is Depay's United team-mate Daley Blind, also stressed the episode had had no role in his decision to leave Van Persie out of his starting team for the Kazakhstan game.

Van Persie is his country's all-time top-scorer with 49 goals in what is now 100 caps following his late substitute appearance on Saturday.

The Netherlands are long-shots to make Euro 2016, having already missed out on the two automatic qualification spots from Group A.

They have to beat the already-qualified Czech Republic and hope that Turkey lose to table-toppers Iceland to clinch third spot and a place in next month’s two-legged play-offs.

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