September 07, (THEWILL) – Liverpool defender, Virgil van Dijk, has refuted claims made by Netherlands manager, Louis van Gaal, that Argentina’s World Cup win was “premeditated”.
Van Gaal controversially stated that the tournament was fixed to enable Lionel Messi’s side to lift the trophy after their victory over the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. Speaking ahead of the Netherlands’ upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers, van Dijk distanced himself from his national team boss’s comments. “I heard [van Gaal’s opinion] this morning, indeed… And that’s actually it. It is of course his opinion. Everyone is allowed to have an opinion. I do not share the same opinion,” said the Liverpool star.
THEWILL recalls that Van Gaal made the explosive allegations ahead of the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony, stating: “When you see how Argentina gets the goals and how we get the goals, and how some Argentina players overstepped the mark and were not punished, then I think it all premeditated game.” He added: “I mean everything I say.”
The Netherlands were knocked out by Argentina after a thrilling 2-2 draw and nail-biting penalty shootout. In the game itself, goals from Nahuel Molina and Lionel Messi put Argentina in control before the Dutch fought back through Wout Weghorst’s late double to force extra time. Argentina eventually prevailed 4-3 on penalties.
Van Dijk’s dismissal of the fixing claims may draw a line under the controversy for now, but van Gaal will likely face further questions on his views when the Netherlands resume their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. The timing of his negative comments has raised eyebrows, with Messi in contention for a record-extending 8th Ballon d’Or, mostly for his exploits in Qatar with Argentina.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
