Suspended Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk (33) will not accompany the national team for their upcoming UEFA Nations League match against Germany on Monday, opting instead to take extra rest in preparation for a hectic period with his club, Liverpool, the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) confirmed on Saturday.
Van Dijk was sent off during Friday’s 1-1 draw against Hungary, earning a suspension that rules him out of the next Nations League fixture. Initially, the defender expressed his desire to remain with the Dutch squad to support his teammates, despite the ban.
In a post-match interview with NOS television, he said, “I’ll just travel with the team, of course. That’s natural for me. I played 80 minutes tonight, so I’ll need to recover, but I want to be with the team as captain.”
However, Van Dijk later reconsidered and decided to return to Liverpool. The club faces a demanding schedule in the coming weeks, with matches against Chelsea, RB Leipzig, Arsenal, and Brighton & Hove Albion (twice).
Reflecting on his decision, Van Dijk stated, “I would have liked to continue supporting the team, but I felt it was better to go home. There’s been a lot of talk about the volume of games and all the travel involved. This is a good opportunity for me to get some rest.”
Van Dijk’s suspension marks the first time a Netherlands captain has been sent off in a full international match, and this will be the first game he misses for his country since June 2022. With 77 caps to his name, he remains a key figure for both club and country.
The KNVB confirmed that no replacement would be called up to fill Van Dijk’s spot, and the squad traveled to Munich from Budapest on Saturday.
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