Keith Hackett sparks debate with strong views on recent actions from Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.
Virgil van Dijk has once again found himself at the center of attention — but not for his defending.
The Liverpool skipper has been pulled into controversy after former Premier League referee Keith Hackett claimed the Dutchman has avoided punishment multiple times this season.
Hackett, who once led the body overseeing match officials, believes Van Dijk gets special treatment from referees.
His comments came after Liverpool’s recent win over Fulham, where two incidents involving the center-back drew attention.
First, Van Dijk’s collision with Rodrigo Muniz raised penalty questions. Then, a clash with Sander Berge — where Van Dijk’s arm caught the Fulham man — sparked talk of a possible red.
For Hackett, those weren’t just isolated moments. “There is no doubt as far as I’m concerned, that this player has become a serial offender and match officials are failing to apply the appropriate sanctions,” he told The Telegraph.
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Virgil van Dijk: “Conduit” or “serial offender”?
The retired ref also pointed to Van Dijk’s role as captain, saying pre-match meetings between the Dutchman and referees may create too friendly a tone.
“I just wonder whether the conversations between the referee and Van Dijk are fairly amicable and that the referees are falling into a trap,” Hackett added.
However, this view hasn’t gone down well with many fans or pundits. Captains from every team meet referees before kickoff — it’s standard practice, not some secret pact.
Let’s face it: being Liverpool’s captain in a title race is enough to make any tackle headline news.
But to say Van Dijk is part of a conspiracy? That’s a stretch even VAR wouldn’t approve.
Looking at the numbers, Van Dijk has picked up five yellow cards this season — not far off Arsenal’s Gabriel, who has six, or Ibrahima Konate with eight. If there’s favoritism, it’s not exactly showing up on the stat sheet.
Still, these comments have given fuel to the usual “LiVARpool” chatter, which always seems to reappear like a last-minute equalizer.
In the end, the only color Van Dijk wants to see is silver — and if Liverpool do lift the Premier League trophy, this talk might just seem like noise from the sidelines.
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