Virgil van Dijk 'angry' after receiving first international red card

Virgil van Dijk was not impressed with the referee who showed him two yellow cards during the Netherlands' 1-1 draw in Hungary on Friday evening.

The Liverpool captain's national team had fallen behind to Roland Sallai's opening goal in the 32nd minute of their UEFA Nations League encounter. A frustrating contest against Hungary's disciplined defensive rearguard eventually got the better of Van Dijk, who was booked twice by Swiss referee Lukas Fahndrich in the space of three second-half minutes.

"It is a bummer, should not have happened," Van Dijk told ESPN immediately after the game, which his compatriot Denzel Dumfries rescued with an 83rd-minute equaliser. "But I'm especially angry about the first [yellow card]."

The 33-year-old centre-back was part of a crowd of players from both teams huddled around the official after Donyell Malen was floored by a strong challenge. Despite his role as the team's skipper, Van Dijk was booked for his protestations.

"They say the captain is the only one who can talk to the referee," the towering defender argued. "I walk up to him. Up tempo, but not in a nasty way, not at all. Very respectful. Because I felt it was a breakaway player, he did not go for the ball at all. If even the captain can not say anything... then it gets difficult."

Van Dijk had few complaints about the second booking which he received after mistiming a tackle on Kevin Csoboth while the Hungarian forward charged into the Dutch half. "With the second card I did give him a reason to give it," Liverpool's leader conceded, "that should have been done more cleverly, period." Friday's dismissal represents the first red card of Van Dijk's international career, while he has only been sent off once in 279 appearances for Liverpool.

Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman was also perplexed by the thought process behind Van Dijk's first booking. "That's frustrating," he told the Dutch broadcasters NOS. "I don't understand it either. I think the captain is allowed to protest to a referee."

Koeman even suggested that Hungary should have been reduced to ten men. "The foul on Malen is a red card," he insisted. "Absolutely no intention to play the ball."

There was less sympathy when it came to his own player's second caution. "Virgil knows what he should have done."

Van Dijk will remain with the Dutch squad when they travel to Bavaria to face Germany at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena in one of the games to watch during October's international break on Monday, but Koeman won't call up another centre-back. "We have enough left-footers and defenders in the selection," the coach explained. "We can handle that well."

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