Virgil van Dijk has lashed out at a journalist over false claims surrounding the Netherlands’ potential appointment of Louis van Gaal.
Clarifying via Twitter, Virgil van Dijk has recently hit out at a journalist, following a false report regarding Louis van Gaal, as reported by Sport Bible.
The Liverpool defender was referring to a report from Daily Mirror that claimed he was leading a revolt against van Gaal, who is reportedly in pole position to take charge as the new Netherlands coach.
Van Dijk was apparently joined by his former Liverpool teammate Georginio Wijnaldum in the alleged revolt. It claimed that none of the senior players were backing the potential appointment of van Gaal, whose struggles at Manchester United have left a bad impression among the players and the fans alike.
Aged 69, van Gaal had even retired following his departure from Old Trafford. But it appears he is set to be appointed as the Netherlands’ coach for the third time. He had previously managed the Oranje in 2000-2001 and 2012-2014.
This story is completely false. It’s never been more important for journalists to tell the truth and not just make stuff up. Shame on you Mr. @MullockSMirror https://t.co/aYRDvqSk21
— Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk) July 17, 2021
The Dutchman made quite an impression during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, helping his nation finish third in the competition. His intelligent decision-making and tactical understanding revolutionised the Dutch side, though he couldn’t replicate that success at Manchester United, despite the financial backing from the club.
However, as the game embraces modern techniques, veteran coaches like van Gaal, Carlo Ancelotti, and Jose Mourinho have struggled to integrate themselves. It may have been an important reason behind the alleged revolt from the senior Dutch players.
Virgil van Dijk, however, has squashed such claims, taking to Twitter to lash out at the Mirror journalist. He wrote: “This story is completely false. It’s never been more important for journalists to tell the truth and not just make stuff up. Shame on you, Mr. @MullockSMirror”.
The Liverpool defender’s comments add a further twist to this tale, as the Netherlands brace themselves for a potential storm once they announce van Gaal as the new coach. It remains to be seen how the players actually react to the veteran’s arrival, but one thing is for sure, he will all have an uphill task of revitalising the Dutch setup following the disappointment in Euro 2020.
The Oranje initially played well in the group stages, winning all three of their matches, but were knocked out of the Round of 16 at the hands of the Czech Republic.
