Virgil van Dijk has Liverpool ban extended and fined £100k after calling ref ‘f***ing joke’ following Newcastle red card
VIRGIL VAN DIJK has been slapped with a £100,000 fine while seeing his Premier League ban extended for his outburst against match officials.
The defender was sent off in the 29th minute of Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Newcastle.
Van Dijk was judged to deny Toon ace Alexander Isak a goalscoring opportunity when he fouled him on the edge of the area, seeing the 32-year-old handed a straight red card.
However, the Reds captain was left fuming with the decision and took it up directly with referee John Brooks and fourth official Craig Pawson – with footage from the exchange revealed to the public.
The X-rated rant saw Van Dijk label the decision a “f***ing joke” before continuing his complaints while heading down the tunnel at St James’ Park.
Van Dijk missed Liverpool’s final Premier League outing – a 3-0 win over Aston Villa – before the International break.
But he will now also miss their first game back against Wolves on September 16, with Liverpool sitting third in the league after taking ten points from a possible 12.
An FA statement confirmed Van Dijk had been charged with improper conduct, landing him an additional game ban and £100,000 fine.
It read: “The defender admitted that he acted in an improper manner and used abusive and insulting words towards a match official after being sent off in the 29th minute.
“The sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission.
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“Full written reasons for this case will be published in due course.”
Following the decision, Van Dijk released a statement on social media.
He said: “I’d just like to make clear I totally accept the panel’s decision.
“It was the first red card of my Liverpool career and I let my frustrations get the better of me in an intense and heated moment.
“I apologised immediately after the game to the match officials and take full responsibility.”
He continued: “Time to move forward now.
“I will continue supporting the team in every way I can.”
Van Dijk also admitted he deserved his red card when speaking to reporters over the International break, but insisted the move was out of character.
He said: “That was not typical for me.
“But it was the red card anyway. I’ve never got one before at Liverpool, and I think only about four times in my entire career. But apart from that I still started the season well.”
Van Dijk played the full duration of the Netherlands EURO 2024 qualifier against Greece, a clash they won 3-0.
He will be expected to feature once again when Oranje take on Ireland on September 10.