Liverpool and Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk refused to wear the One-Love armband during their Euro Qualifier clash against France. Although it was the Netherlands where the OneLove campaign started, it seems they are pulling themselves out of it like many others.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the defender issued a statement regarding the armband decision. He said, “I will not wear the One Love armband tomorrow, the decision is made. We have decided to wear the ‘UEFA Respect’ armband because we, as a group, have chosen the ‘UEFA Respect’ armband”.
The former Celtic star had the same stance at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. This was reportedly after the competition’s organizing body, FIFA, stated it would yellow card any captain who would wear it during the tournament.
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The Netherlands lost 1-2 against France and are currently in third place in the group. However, having played fewer games than the group toppers, France and Greece, they still have one game in hand to catch them up. Van Dijk and the Dutch team are set to face Greece on October 17, 2023, and would look for a win to cement their position for Euro 2024.
Virgil van Dijk talks about Liverpool’s ongoing VAR saga
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has opened up about the club’s ongoing VAR saga. The Reds have recently been troubled by alleged mistakes from the Video Assistant Referee’s end. They have faced quite a few wrong decisions, which made a huge impact on the games they played.
In a recent interview, the Dutch defender talked about the controversial decisions made by the VAR. He admitted that it was tough to move on following Luis Diaz’s wrongly disallowed goal and red cards for Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota. Van Dijk said, “It’s part of life. Obviously, it’s difficult but life gives you challenges so you have to deal with it. You definitely can take a lot of positive things out of that game”.
He further added, “It’s quite difficult when you lose to see the positive things immediately, and that was definitely a difficult period after the game, but a couple of days later you realize and you analyze certain things”.
Apart from the occasional issues with the VAR, Liverpool has had a decent start after a pretty disappointing last season. So far, they have won 5, drawn 2, and lost 1 in their first eight Premier League matches this season. They are currently in the fourth position in the league’s table after Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, and Manchester City.
Following the international break, the Reds are set to face Everton on October 21 at Anfield. And manager Jurgen Klopp would hope the team continues to perform in a similar fashion if they aim to win titles this season.
