Virgil van Dijk hinted at his disapproval of referee Felix Zwayer’s efficiency within the Netherlands’ 2-1 Euro 2024 semi-final defeat to England on Wednesday evening.
The Oranje had been dumped out of the competitors by Ollie Watkins’ last-gasp winner for the Three Lions, coming after Xavi Simons and Harry Kane had struck within the first half.
Simons’ early belter put the Netherlands forward however England drew stage when Zwayer awarded a doubtful penalty for Denzel Dumfries’ problem on Kane after a test from the video assistant referee, permitting the Bayern Munich striker to fireplace in from the spot.
Talking after the sport, Van Dijk inferred Zwayer’s choice to go away the pitch shortly at full-time confirmed the controversial nature of his show.
He instructed beIN Sports activities: “I do not know what to say, I do not know if I ought to say one thing about this.
“However I feel it says all of it that the referee went in fairly shortly after the sport, had no time to shake his hand.”
Chatting with NOS, the centre-back added: “However responsible it on that, I don’t need to do this both. I simply do not know what to say. It hurts lots.
“For those who concede it so late within the match, then that’s after all horrible. You place the whole lot into it, everybody offers the whole lot, after which when it falls like that within the final minute…that simply sucks, sorry to say it like that.
“You may have extra possession and need to punish the little moments that you simply get. It felt like we might make it 2-1. However that did not occur and now we’re standing right here empty-handed.”
Zwayer penalised the Netherlands 11 instances for fouls in comparison with England’s six, whereas he additionally dished out three yellow playing cards apiece for both sides.
