FA BANNED: Virgil van Dijk was hit by ban after other incidents leave fans raging

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was sent off by referee John Brooks against Newcastle.

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was sent off by referee John Brooks against Newcastle. (Image: Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
An apologetic Virgil van Dijk saw no value in dragging the issue on any further following his red card at Newcastle.

After being dismissed for a last-man foul on Alexander Isak in the 2-1 win at St James’ Park last month, his subsequent reaction saw him eventually punished with an additional one-match ban.

It was a costly blow-up from the Reds captain, who had branded the initial decision to send him off as a “f****** joke” in the heat of the moment on August 27.

“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 United on Sunday 27 August,” read a statement from the Football Association on September 8.

“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. Full written reasons for this case will be published in due course.”

In an attempt to put the incident behind him, Van Dijk quickly took to social media to offer a solemn, contrite reaction, posting: “Following the announcement today, I’d just like to make clear I totally accept the panel’s decision.

“It was the first red card of my Liverpool career and I let my frustrations get the better of me, in an intense and heated moment. I apologised immediately after the game to the match officials and take full responsibility. Time to move forward now. I will continue supporting the team in every way I can.”

But if Van Dijk, who has been at both Liverpool games during his suspension to help in an off-field capacity, was keen to simply put the incident and the hefty fine behind him, supporters are doing no such thing.

Now, it seems, Reds fans are keen to see if similar outbursts across the Premier League are punished with the same fervour as the one that cost Van Dijk a six-figure sum.

Social media was awash with frustration over the weekend at two incidents in particular from games involving Newcastle and Everton.

Eagle-eyed supporters were quick to question one foul-mouthed reaction from Kieran Trippier in the Magpies’ 1-0 win over Brentford, while England goalkeeper Pickford was caught on camera the following day aiming a verbal volley in the direction of an official during the Blues’ defeat to Arsenal. Neither will result in any sanctions.

Some will argue that they shouldn’t, either. After all, elite-level sport sees passions run high and some choice language is hardly the worst crime for a player to commit. It’s a fair point. So too is the one that demands a crackdown on the level of abuse referees at all levels are subjected to during football matches. The disappointment from those of a Liverpool persuasion is simply the inconsistencies.

It’s understood Van Dijk was given the fine and the extra one-game ban because his charge came after the red card had been dished out. That meant the airing of his annoyance came outside of the jurisdiction of match official John Brooks on the day, while the bemoaning of Trippier, Pickford and any other player seen swearing at a referee over the weekend was left to the discretion of the referee. If the rules present plenty of room for grey areas, it’s easy to understand the complaints.

Clearly the grievances linger for Liverpool supporters feeling their skipper was hard done by in the North East and while the authorities will no doubt feel confident the defender’s outburst was worthy of its eventual punishment, they have perhaps made a rod for their own back for the remainder of the campaign.

And football fans have particularly long memories. Just ask Everton followers about the number of players who have joined Oumar Niasse in recent years since he became the first player to be charged with the “successful deception of a match official” in 2017. It’s a short list.

“If they’re going to punish every single player in the league and ban them for diving, then they may have a chance of stopping it,” said former Everton captain Phil Neville at the time. “But I see diving week-in, week-out and unless you punish every player for diving and ban them for two games, they’ll keep doing it. I feel sorry for Niasse.” It’s a stance that has more than a passing resemblance for those arguing Van Dijk’s corner now.

Six years on and simulation remains as inherent as ever in the Premier League, yet the number of players who’ve been sanctioned for it is countable on one hand. And judging by the flare-ups from the weekend, breaches of FA Rule E3.1 might be heading the same way.