Jurgen Klopp defends Virgil van Dijk following Rafael van der Vaart's criticism
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hit back at Rafael van der Vaart after the Dutchman compared Virgil van Dijk to a Boeing 747 during the World Cup.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC0 / Author: Pete
Jurgen Klopp, currently working as a pundit for MagentaTV during the World Cup, has publicly defended Virgil van Dijk following harsh criticism from former Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart.
Following the Netherlands' 2-2 draw against Japan in their opening match, Van der Vaart commented on the NOS TV broadcast that Van Dijk's reaction to conceding a goal reminded him of a Boeing 747 due to its slowness, urging the defender to be quicker throughout the tournament.
I don't know if it's worth mentioning Rafael van der Vaart. But if he says something positive about any player, I will start taking him seriously again. Jurgen Klopp
Klopp did not hold back in his assessment of the former Real Madrid player, suggesting that Van der Vaart often makes contradictory remarks to sound profound. The situation was further complicated by separate accusations of xenophobia directed at Van der Vaart for his comments regarding the Japanese players.
Van der Vaart later issued a statement claiming that he never intended to insult or discriminate against anyone with his commentary.