( CNN ) -- The robust approach of the Netherlands side in the World Cup final has drawn a fierce rebuke from Dutch legend Johan Cruyff , who accused them of `` dirty '' play and adopting `` anti-football '' tactics . Cruyff was the star player of the revered Dutch team of the 1974 World Cup that introduced the concept `` total football '' to the world . Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt were the Oranje 's outfield players from their starting 11 not to be booked by referee Howard Webb , while Johnny Heitinga saw red in extra-time for a second bookable offence as Spain won 1-0 at Soccer City on Sunday . Cruyff , who coached Barcelona after his playing days were over , believes Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel were very fortunate to avoid red cards for challenges in the first half . Manchester City midfielder De Jong , in particular , has come under criticism for his `` kung-fu '' style challenge which left Xabi Alonso nursing bruised ribs . `` Regrettably , sadly , they played very dirty . So much so that they should have been down to nine immediately , they made two ugly and hard tackles that even I felt the damage , '' wrote Cruyff . `` This ugly , vulgar , hard , hardly eye-catching , lack of football style served the Dutch to unsettle Spain . If with this they got satisfaction , fine , but they ended up losing . `` Some practiced anti-football considering that it was the only way to survive . It finished 0-0 ( after regulation play ) because they ( Spain ) could not play as they wanted . '' Referee Webb also comes under criticism for failing to act tougher as he handed out a string of yellow cards without using the ultimate sanction until Heitinga was sent off deep into extra-time . `` You can referee badly , but what you can not do is create your own type of justice and , worse , invent a personal application of the rules , '' Cruyff said . `` Not only did he fail to expel two Dutchmen , including ( Arjen ) Robben who deserved the second yellow , he also looked the other way at times in which he had to get involved . `` A World Cup final deserves a big referee , but above all , it deserves a referee who dares to do everything it means to be judge . '' Cruyff was named man of the tournament at the 1974 World Cup , but his team lost the final 2-1 to West Germany . He did not play in the 1978 World Cup where the Dutch again lost in the final to Argentina .
Dutch legend Barcelona critical of their robust approach in World Cup final . Cruyff accuses them of adopting `` anti-football '' football tactics in 2 -0 loss to Spain . Former Spain coach Referee Webb rebukes `` ugly , vulgar '' approach of Dutch team .