Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has insisted he doesn’t believe there was foul play at work in the Netherlands loss to Argentina at the World Cup, despite Louis Van Gaal suggesting otherwise.
The Liverpool captain has been speaking to NOS regarding various topics, including that of Van Gaal’s recent controversial comments.
The Dutch was in attendance at a Premier League gala in Utrecht last night, where he received a lifetime achievements award for his career, which has spanned club and international football.
It was Van Gaal’s first public appearance since the Netherlands were beaten by Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar last winter.
That game saw his side knocked out by the eventual winners on penalties following a 2-2 draw between the two sides in a highly charged affair.
“When you see how Argentina gets the goals and how we get the goals and how some Argentina players crossed the line and weren’t punished, I think it’s all premeditated,” Van Gaal said.
When asked what exactly he meant by that, Van Gaal said: “I mean everything I say. That Messi should be world champion? I think so, yes,” explain NOS.
The inclination from Van Gaal is a clear one, that the powers which be had engineered a situation to ensure Lionel Messi won the World Cup, with the tournament in Qatar seen as potentially the last of his career.
It’s a controversial one to say the least, and one that will certainly ruffle a lot of feathers, but Liverpool’s Van Dijk was keen to make it known he doesn’t agree with it.
“I heard it this morning, indeed,” he said.
“And that’s actually it. It is of course his opinion. Everyone is allowed to have an opinion. I do not share the same opinion.
“We had a meeting this morning about the upcoming match. We think that is much more important.”
