For his behavior toward the officials, Virgil van Dijk received an additional one-match suspension. According to a letter from Liverpool, his annoyance was caused by a “inconsistent approach.”
A one-match suspension for the Liverpool captain’s red card against Newcastle was increased to two matches as a result of his subsequent response to John Brooks’ ruling.
After learning a “expensive lesson,” Van Dijk has since accepted the judgement. He was also fined £100,000 for behavior the FA deemed to be “highly inappropriate.”
As with every incident, the FA has made public the ruling and written justifications in Van Dijk’s case. These documents also contained a letter from Liverpool regarding the event, which underscored the problems with inconsistent officiating.
However, the panel “comfortably concluded[d] that VVD’s words were aimed towards the Referee personally” in regards to the final point.
They went on to say that Van Dijk’s conduct were “highly inappropriate and avoidable” and that the Dutchman failed to live up to the standards demanded by representatives of the Premier League.
Liverpool requested a one-match suspension for his behavior, but the FA proposed a two-match suspension because that is “the automatic sanction for a player dismissed for ‘using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or actions’.”
In contrast, the panel “comfortably concluded[d] that VVD’s words were aimed towards the Referee personally” with reference to the last argument.
They continued by claiming that Van Dijk’s actions were “highly inappropriate and avoidable” and that the Dutchman fell short of the standards expected by Premier League representatives.
The FA suggested a two-match suspension instead of the one Liverpool asked since it is “the automatic sanction for a player dismissed for ‘using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or actions’.”
