Virgil van Dijk dealt admirably with a potentially explosive question about the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester City when speaking to media after today’s fixture between the two teams.
The duo have fought some epic Premier League title battles over the past few years, including three that went to the final day of the season, each of which saw the team in sky blue end up as champions.
City subjected the Reds to more anguish this afternoon as they triumphed 3-0 at Anfield in their first fixture since being found guilty of 114 breaches of the top flight’s financial rules (The Athletic), and all three goals came after the ridiculously harsh dismissal of Ryan Gravenberch.
Van Dijk carefully addresses Man City question
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Van Dijk was asked about the off-field verdict against Man City, but the Liverpool captain wisely kept his counsel on such a sensitive subject.
He replied (via BBC Sport): “The only thing I can say, because it’s ongoing, is that I have really enjoyed the rivalry, but that is on the pitch. What has happened off the pitch is a totally different story.
“Because it’s still ongoing, it’s not a good idea for me to comment on this. When it’s properly settled I will definitely share my comments on it, but for now let’s wait and see.”
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What must Van Dijk privately make of Man City’s rule-breaking?
Van Dijk issued the perfect response to the question about the off-field controversy involving the Etihad Stadium outfit, refusing to engage with it directly but not completely shying away from it either.
The Dutchman has been part of two title races in which Liverpool came up one point short to Man City, and although both of those came outside the period to which the charges apply, the success they bought in previous years laid the foundations for those triumphs in 2018/19 and 2021/22.
The 35-year-old referenced in his programme notes how ‘these are the games every player looks forward to’, although there’s a sense after today’s match that the on-field action feels a bit hollow amid the much more significant situation surrounding the Manchester club.
In future years when the ongoing legal matter is officially concluded, with punishments handed out and served, a then-retired Van Dijk might well have plenty to say on what it was like trying to compete in what was most certainly not a level playing field.
For now, the skipper and his Liverpool teammates must leave the recriminations to fans and media, and immediately switch their focus to bouncing back against LASK in the Champions League on Wednesday.