For those of you that enjoy EA’s FIFA 20 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One might have noticed something when logging in as of late. That something is a notice saying that a certain person that hails from Utrecht, Netherlands has faced a suspension “until further notice.” Yes, EA has removed Marco van Basten for saying “Sieg Heil” off-camera.

That’s right, the sports game loaded up with all sorts of casino-like functions that make the publisher and developer over the annual title mad money has pulled out the ban hammer on van Basten.

Website twinfinite.net has discovered the three-time Ballon d’Or winner, which is given to the best soccer players, will no longer be an available character in the game because of a recent remark made during an interview with German coach Frank Wormuth of Heracles Almelo.

To set the record straight, van Basten, from the Netherlands, used “Sieg Heil” off-camera as a competitive joke or term to mock the German coach Wormuth for losing to AFC Ajax. However, Wormuth got so butt hurt over the remark that he snitched on van Basten on live air.

Thanks to website inews.co.uk, we learn the following:

“He was heard off camera saying “sieg heil” – a German phrase meaning “hail victory” which carries strong connotations with Nazi rallies – after Fox Sports presenter Hans Kraay interviewed Heracles’ German manager Frank Wormuth.

 

Van Basten apologised on air, saying: “I didn’t mean to shock people, I just wanted to ridicule Hans’ German, but I’m sorry.””

To top off all of the above, van Basten will have to pay an “appearance fee” that will go to the “Dutch Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies.”

So to summarize this story, Marco van Basten wanted to make an off-camera competitive joke at the German coach of Heracles Almelo, Frank Wormuth, for losing to AFC Ajax, but Frank Wormuth couldn’t handle it and told Fox Sports presenter Hans Kraay on-air during an interview that van Basten had said “Sieg Heil” to him.

In addition to the above, this brought Marco van Basten a suspension from working with Fox Sports until December 7th, 2019. This also forces van Basten to pay funds to the Holocaust and Genocide Studies, which also hindered his appearance in FIFA 20.