Due to his behavior following his red card against Newcastle last month, Virgil van Dijk, the captain of Liverpool, has been given a one-match suspension and a £100,000 fine.
During the game against Newcastle, the defender was dismissed for a last-man foul on Alexander Isak. As the foul was not considered to be aggressive conduct, a one-game penalty was automatically imposed.
Following that, Van Dijk was absent from Liverpool’s 3-0 triumph over Aston Villa at Anfield right before the break. The Football Association (FA), however, has now prolonged his punishment as a result of his immediate post-dismissal behavior. Van Dijk was photographed disputing with fourth official Craig Pawson and was spotted yelling violently at referee John Brooks.
The FA announced the sentence in an official statement, saying: “Virgil van Dijk has been fined £100,000 and suspended for one match for breaking FA Rule E3.1 during Liverpool’s Premier League encounter against Newcastle United on Sunday, August 27.
“After being dismissed in the 29th minute, the defender stated that he had behaved improperly and had spoken abusively and insultingly to a referee. An independent Regulatory Commission then issued the sanctions. The full written justifications for this case will be released as soon as possible.
Darwin Nunez’s two late goals helped Liverpool defeat Newcastle despite the dismissal of Van Dijk. The Reds easily trounced Aston Villa in their ensuing game as well.
Van Dijk won’t be available for Liverpool’s forthcoming match at Molineux against Wolves due to his prolonged suspension, though. Van Dijk acknowledged that his response to receiving a red card was out of character and expressed his readiness to play again hours before the FA made its announcement.
