The Dutch named a trio of Reds in their squad as they took on England for a place in Sunday’s final.
Things started well enough for Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo, who saw Xavi Simons blast them into an early lead.
However, things unravelled when a dubious penalty call gave England a way back into the game. Van Dijk slammed the referee for his decision and it built the basis for Ollie Watkins to score a late winner and put the Three Lions into the final.
With tensions high among the Dutch camp after the game, Van Dijk was not afraid to be forthright with present journalists.
Virgil van Dijk of the Netherlands looks dejected after the team's defeat in the UEFA EURO 2024 semi-final match between Netherlands and England at...
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Virgil van Dijk makes journalist accusation
Van Dijk is the undisputed leader for the Netherlands. Now a 33-year-old veteran of 74 caps, the Liverpool defender is always the first to front up to the cameras.
Clearly, it was an emotional night for Virgil. It’s never easy to lose a game in the dying seconds especially one of such magnitude.
Along with Gakpo and indeed Ryan Gravenberch who was also part of the Dutch squad, Van Dijk will have had genuine belief that he and his countrymen could go all the way.
It was also made more bitter by the fact that the refereeing performance was somewhat questionable.
Van Dijk has often been seen letting match officials have his true feelings while playing for Liverpool. Who could forget his sending off at St James’ Park last season, for example.
READ MORE: Dutch national media give verdict on Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk vs England
But after saying his piece on Zwayer after the full-time whistle, Van Dijk was keen to avoid becoming too embroiled in a slanging match.
“Are you happy that a referee who had been banned for match fixing was taking part in this semi-final?” a reporter asks the centre-back via Hayters TV.
“What do you want? Are you trying to get me in trouble here?” responds an annoyed looking Van Dijk.
“No, no, no. But it was a talking point before the game,” the journalist intercepts.
“Yeah, but he did our game against Romania and I think that game he was alright,” Virgil replies. “So, you don’t want to get me in trouble. That’s for you guys to discuss.”
Time to shift focus for Virgil van Dijk
It had been a slight long-shot for Van Dijk and his teammates that they could win the Euros this summer. Despite some quality in the squad, the Dutch are not the force they once were in European football.
Nevertheless, having seen the draw open up for them, they will have felt that they could go all the way. A born winner, Van Dijk certainly will have held onto that notion.
Still, now that the dream is over, attention needs to shift towards his Liverpool future. Arne Slot will surely be itching to work with his new captain and it will be great to see them finally link up at the AXA Training Centre.
After that, things really need to be cleared up regarding what comes next for Van Dijk. With just one year left on his contract at Anfield, Virgil has done more than enough to earn a new one.
Without distraction for the rest of the summer, let’s hope to see that get sorted soon.
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