EA removes Marco van Basten from FIFA 20 due to ‘sieg heil’ comment

EA Sports has temporarily removed Marco van Basten from FIFA 20. That happened after the former football player said ‘sieg heil’ on TV. It seems to be a temporary removal, but that is not certain yet.

Players who open FIFA 20 will see a notification from EA. It states that Marco van Basten has been removed from the game ‘until further notice’. The suspension is due to ‘recent comments’ by Van Basten. “We want our commitment to equality and diversity to continue in our game,” the game’s creator wrote. Due to the decision, Van Basten’s ICON items will no longer be available in Packs, SBCs, and the FUT Simulator. Anyone who has already unlocked or traded Van Basten in Ultimate Team mode can continue to play with him. It is unknown if, and when, the former footballer will return to the game.

Van Basten used the term ‘sieg heil’ in the TV program De Eretribune in November. He did so when a colleague started speaking in bad German. FOX Sports already punished the former football player by removing him from the channel for a week. Van Basten said he regretted his comment.