Van Dijk and Koeman Criticize Officiating in Euro 2024 Loss
Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk and head coach Ronald Koeman both questioned the officiating in their Euro 2024 semi-final loss to England on Wednesday night. The match, held at Signal Iduna Park, saw the Netherlands take an early lead, only for England to equalize 11 minutes later through a penalty kick.
German referee Felix Zwayer initially ignored Denzel Dumfries’ block on Harry Kane’s attack. However, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) prompted Zwayer to review the incident on a pitchside monitor, resulting in a penalty for England. Harry Kane successfully converted the kick, shifting the momentum in England’s favor, which ultimately led to a 2-1 victory thanks to Ollie Watkins’ late goal.
Head coach Koeman expressed his frustration in the post-game interview, stating, “In my opinion, it should not have been a penalty. He kicked the ball, and the boots touched. I think that we cannot play proper football and this is due to VAR. It really breaks football.”
Van Dijk echoed Koeman’s sentiments regarding the penalty decision and the overall officiating. The Liverpool captain remarked that the referee hurried off the field after the game, avoiding the traditional handshake, suggesting his awareness of a contentious performance.
“I don’t know what to say, I don’t know if I should say something about this,” Van Dijk told beIN Sports. “But I think it says it all that the referee went in quite quickly after the game and had no time to shake hands.”
