Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk escapes death in Greece accused of ‘disrespect’ after Liverpool captain scores for Netherlands vs Greece

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk escapes death in Greece accused of ‘disrespect’ after Liverpool captain scores for Netherlands vs Greece

 

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk scored a stoppage time winner for the Netherlands in Athens, but the Greek media wasn’t happy with the way he celebrated.

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has faced criticism from Greek media for his celebration during the Netherlands’ 1-0 victory. The Dutch captain scored a penalty in stoppage time to keep Dutch hopes of qualifying for the European Championships alive.

However, the Greek media deemed Van Dijk’s celebration as “disrespectful.” Reports from Greece highlighted the context of the match and the reaction to Van Dijk’s actions.

Netherlands’ defeat to France had pushed it outside the top two spots for qualification, with Greece leapfrogging it after a convincing 3-0 win over the Republic of Ireland. Van Dijk and his Liverpool teammate Kostas Tsimikas faced each other in Athens, with the Dutch needing a victory to maintain control of their Euro qualification fate.

The match seemed destined for a goalless draw, with Wout Weghorst having missed a penalty after Van Dijk was fouled in the box. In the 91st minute though, the Liverpool captain converted his own penalty, securing the win for the Netherlands.

Despite the crucial goal, Van Dijk received criticism from the local media for his celebration. Greek outlet Sportime said: “Virgil van Dijk’s disrespectful celebration with his tongue sticking out drew the disapproval of Greek fans both in the OPAP Arena and on the internet.”

Liverpool.com says: We’re guessing the reporters in Greece haven’t seen many Liverpool games. If they had, they would know that Van Dijk’s celebration was not aimed at anyone, and is just the way he marks his goals.

 

To be fair, considering the defender was targeted by a laser as someone in the crowd tried to put him off his penalty, he would have had every right to send a message to the fans in attendance. Still, burying a stoppage-time winner is probably better than any gesture he could make.

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