“Absolute nonsense”
Virgil van Dijk wasn’t having it. The Netherlands captain cut down a Dutch reporter in a press conference before the Nations League trip to Germany, after a rumour in the local press claimed the Liverpool defender had told Ronald Koeman to make the tactical switch against Morocco at the World Cup. “One of your colleagues said it was my idea to go to five at the back. That’s absolute nonsense,” said the 35-year-old skipper.
The memory still stings. Trailing, the Oranje went to five at the back to try to hold off Morocco, only to concede a late equaliser in stoppage time. Then came the penalty shootout and elimination, a brutal end for a side that thought it could go further.
Try it for $0.99.
The burden of captaincy
Van Dijk is keen to stop that episode being pinned on him alone. “The simple fact is that we failed at the World Cup. This isn’t about me. We perform together,” he said. It is the same team-first mindset that has shaped his career, from modest FC Groningen to the armband at Liverpool and the Netherlands, via Celtic and Southampton.
The defender, whose name is regularly mentioned among the best of his generation, says he holds no grudge against the media as a whole. “With most of the media, I have no problem. Never have. When nonsense is put out there, how am I supposed to deal with it any other way?” he asked, clearly irritated by how this row has blown up just hours before an important fixture.
Xavi’s faith
Van Dijk remains involved with the national team under new coach Xavi. The faith shown by the Spanish manager, who arrived after the World Cup failure, has weighed heavily in the captain’s decision to carry on internationally rather than begin a transition. The Netherlands face Germany on Thursday, with the captain determined to let his football do the talking rather than the noise from the media seats.
Discover the rest of the football news on our website and app mathodds!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply