Due to remarks he made to referee John Brooks during Liverpool’s 2-1 victory at Newcastle United, Virgil van Dijk could be hit with further suspension.
At St James’ Park on August 27, the Reds had a disastrous start and fell behind to an early goal from former Everton winger Anthony Gordon.
Alexander Isak was about to run through on goal when Van Dijk clipped him, and he was subsequently given the boot.
VAR authorities looked into the situation, and in the end they chose to uphold Brooks’ verdict, and the red card stood.
Van Dijk’s red card was one of the first events assessed in the first episode of “Match Officials Mic’d Up,” a fresh initiative created by the Premier League and PGMOL that aims to explain contentious refereeing decisions.
While there was no issue with the decision to send the defender off, one notable point of contention was Van Dijk’s behaviour towards Brooks.
The referee told Van Dijk to ‘wait’ for a verdict by the VAR, but insisted, “You will need to go immediately if I tell you you’ve got to go.”
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has been charged by the FA following his reaction to his sending off against Newcastle United.
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— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) August 29, 2023
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However, Van Dijk initially refused to leave the pitch, and was heard claiming that the decision was a “f***ing joke”.
This has already landed the Liverpool skipper with an improper conduct charge from the FA, and it is now being widely reported that he may now be handed an extra one-match ban.
Van Dijk missed Liverpool’s 3-0 win at home to Aston Villa on Sunday due to the initial suspension but he could also sit out their trip to Wolves after the international break if further punished.
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