Van der Vaart admits to hitting wife on New Year's Eve

The Dutch midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart, formerly of Real Madrid and Tottenham, has admitted to having struck his wife –model Sylvie Van der Vaart– at a New Year's Eve party. "It was very foolish of me. I'm an idiot. I'm so sorry. It should never have happened", the Hamburg star told German newspaper 'Bild'.



The couple have since announced they are to split following the incident which, according to 'Bild', took place at a private New Year's Eve party in Hamburg. Before the fight between the pair broke out, the two had posed for a photo together looking happy and in love.



However, just moments later, the pair became embroiled in a blazing argument that escalated to the point that the midfielder hit his wife, causing her to fall to the ground. Although the model subsequently claimed in public to have forgiven her husband, they have ultimately decided to go their separate ways.