Virgil Van Dijk slams England v Netherlands referee after ‘dreams shattered’

Get Miguel Delaney’s Reading The Game Newsletter For Free

Get Miguel Delaney's Free Newsletter

Virgil van Dijk expressed his frustration with referee Felix Zwayer following the Netherlands' devastating defeat to England in the semi-finals of Euro 2024.

An unjust penalty given to the England team in the first half was criticized as a "shameful" call by Gary Neville during the break.

Van Dijk was very disappointed at the end of the game when Ollie Watkins scored a last-minute goal, and Zwayer was not around after the game ended.

"During the entire tournament, we have witnessed various facets of our team," Van Dijk shared with Be In Sports. "We've shown strong aspects in both attack and defense, but also struggled against Austria. Today's match was a positive one for many reasons. It was an intense game where we performed well both with and without the ball."

They made some positive memories, just like we did. It's tough to accept giving up a goal in the final moments, especially in a crucial semifinal match that crushed our hopes.

I'm at a loss for words, unsure if I should comment on this situation. I mentioned it to the Dutch media, who pointed out the referee's swift exit after the game, leaving no time to greet the players.

The game is over and we were defeated, it's tough to accept. There were certain times where it seemed like we should have won, but it just didn't happen. Regardless of the result, it's challenging and hard to swallow. We had high hopes and believed we could succeed here.

I'm not sure, they continue to make changes that could have a significant effect. It's best to let them come to you and clarify certain situations, just as we need to do. I shouldn't talk about other people, we need to focus on ourselves.