Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool defender handed extra one-game suspension for red card reaction against Newcastle
Virgil van Dijk will miss Liverpool's Premier League home game with Wolves after Dutch defender was handed a further one-match ban following his dismissal against Newcastle last month; 32-year-old has also been fined £100,000 for acting in an "improper manner"
Saturday 9 September 2023 04:16, UK
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk has been suspended for one additional match and fined £100,000 after admitting he acted in an improper manner and used abusive and insulting words towards a match official after being sent off against Newcastle last month.
The Netherlands international was dismissed for a foul on Alexander Isak in the first half of Liverpool's 2-1 victory at St James' Park on August 27, but initially refused to leave the pitch - and then remonstrated with referee John Brooks.
An automatic one-match ban saw the centre-back suspended for the 3-0 win over Aston Villa before the international break, but he will now also serve an additional suspension and so miss the trip to Wolves on September 16.
A statement from the FA read: "Virgil van Dijk has been suspended for one match and fined £100,000 for breaching FA Rule E3.1 during Liverpool's Premier League fixture against Newcastle on Sunday August 27.
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"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, and the sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent regulatory commission."
Van Dijk told Dutch reporters following the Netherlands' win over Greece on Thursday that it was out of character.
"That was not typical for me," he said.
"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."
Ref Watch on Van Dijk incident
Should Van Dijk have been sent off?
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher:
"I think it's a foul.
"Has he got an obvious goalscoring opportunity? Is he in possession of the ball. Yes, there's no doubt about that.
"Will he have a clear run on goal? Well, once he gets the ball he's going to move towards the goal.
"Is he outside the penalty area? Yes, so the referee has to send him off.
"He gets the ball but he gets the man first, there's no doubt about that.
"I don't think anybody can dispute it's a foul."
Could Van Dijk be in further trouble for behaviour after red card?
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher:
"It depends on what the referee reports.
"There's no doubt about it that he took a long time to leave the field so we'd have to wait to see what the referee had written about the incident on his report which goes to the FA, and that gets cleared up then."
Liverpool's next six PL fixtures
September 16: Wolves (A)
September 24: West Ham (H)
September 30: Tottenham (A) - Live on Sky Sports
October 8: Brighton (A)
October 21: Everton (H)
October 29: Nottingham Forest (H)
