Virgil van Dijk: Punishment for Newcastle red card ‘a hard and expensive lesson’
Virgil van Dijk has revealed he has learned “a hard and expensive lesson” after receiving an extended ban and a £100,000 fine following his dismissal at Newcastle.
The 32-year-old Liverpool defender was this week hit with the punishment after admitting a Football Association charge of acting in an improper manner and using insulting words to a match official after calling referee John Brooks’ decision to send him off for a challenge on Alexander Isak “a f****** joke”.
Van Dijk, who initially refused to leave the pitch at St James’ Park during last month’s Premier League game, said: “It has been a hard and expensive lesson. I can’t really say more about it. I have accepted it and I am happy that there is an end to it.
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— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) September 8, 2023
“I have been punished for it and I don’t think I have been set as an example. Hopefully the money goes to the right people. A good cause is always better.”
Van Dijk sat out last Sunday’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa but will also miss Saturday’s trip to Wolves as a result of his additional one-match suspension.
His comments came as he appeared at the Netherlands’ pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s Euro 2024 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
The game is a must-win affair for Ireland, who trail the Dutch by three points having played a game more, and their hopes of emerging from Group B were dealt a fresh blow this week when 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson was ruled out of the games against France and the Netherlands by a knee injury just days after scoring a hat-trick against Newcastle.
Asked about the teenager’s absence, Van Dijk said: “If you score a hat-trick just before the international break, then he was
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