Liverpool’s Van Dijk Faces FA Charges After Disciplinary Outburst

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has been accused of misconduct following his dismissal during the game against Newcastle on Sunday. Van Dijk received a red card for his foul on Alexander Isak in the first half of Liverpool’s 2-1 victory at St James’ Park. The Dutch center-back was visibly angered by the decision and initially refused to leave the field as he engaged in a heated argument with referee John Brooks.

As a result, Van Dijk has received a one-match suspension, meaning he will be unavailable for Liverpool’s upcoming match against Aston Villa. However, the Football Association may choose to extend this ban after charging him with using abusive or insulting language towards the match official. The charge was put forth by the FA on Tuesday under Rule E3.1, relating to Van Dijk’s behavior during the Premier League game against Newcastle.

Van Dijk has until Friday to respond to the charge. Immediately after the game, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp criticized the decision to send off his defender, stating that he did not deem it deserving of a red card. Klopp acknowledged the minimal contact made and expressed his inability to alter the decision, humorously remarking that he would not have made such a call if he were a referee.

It is worth noting that this incident breaks Van Dijk’s streak of seven years without receiving a red card. His previous red card was issued in 2016, during his time at Southampton.