Virgil van Dijk has voiced his frustration following his red card during the Netherlands’ recent 1-1 draw against Hungary in the Nations League, asserting that he did not deserve to be sent off. The referee showed the Liverpool captain two yellow cards in quick succession, leading to his dismissal in the 79th minute of the match held in Budapest.
The incident unfolded as the Dutch team was trailing 1-0 after a first-half volley from Roland Sallai. Despite reducing to ten men, the Netherlands equalized just minutes later when Denzel Dumfries headed in a free kick taken by Cody Gakpo in the 83rd minute, salvaging a point for Ronald Koeman’s side.
Van Dijk’s red card marked a significant moment, as it was his first in 77 appearances for the national team. The referee Lukas Fahndrich issued the initial yellow card for dissent after Van Dijk approached him to protest a foul against teammate Donyell Malen during a counter-attack. The second yellow card resulted from a foul, which Dumfries argued was unmerited, saying, “I think he touched the ball.”
In an interview with ESPN, Van Dijk expressed his displeasure: “[The red card] is a bummer, should not have happened. But I’m especially angry about the first. They say the captain is the only one who can talk to the referee. I walked up to him up tempo, but not in a nasty way. Very respectful. Because I felt it was a breakaway player; he did not go for the ball at all. If even the captain cannot say anything… then it gets difficult.”
Coach Ronald Koeman echoed Van Dijk’s sentiments, expressing frustration over the first yellow card. However, he cautioned his captain about avoiding further fouls once booked, stating, “I think we agreed that a captain can protest to a referee. That foul [on Malen] was good for a red card. There was no intention at all to play the ball. That Virgil then takes that second card is not convenient. He knows that himself.”
Despite his suspension for the upcoming Nations League match against Germany on Monday, Van Dijk has decided to remain with the national squad. “I want to be there for the group; this will not change,” he said.
Former Netherlands international Rafael Van der Vaart criticized Van Dijk’s decision to stay, suggesting that he might be unwise due to the physical demands of travel. “I would have gone home if I was Van Dijk,” he remarked. “You have so many games! Now you need to travel again to Germany. I think Arne Slot would want this too, and that he could demand this.”
Van Dijk plans to return to action for Liverpool on Sunday, October 20, when they host Chelsea at Anfield. Slot’s side will look to build on their strong start to Premier League season, having won six of their first-seven-league-matches.
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