Exclusive: Virgil van Dijk, the captain of Liverpool, made a pointed remark about the “English” referee during Euro 2024, and former official Mark Halsey believes he was correct.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk wasn’t happy with Premier League referee Anthony Taylor at Euro 2024. (Image: Photo by Ralf Ibing – firo sportphoto/Getty Images)
The fact that an English panel of referees rendered the longest VAR decision during Euro 2024 was not lost on anyone. Additionally, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was impacted by the controversy surrounding Denzel Dumfries’ offside call against France.
The decision infuriated Van Dijk, both on the pitch and in his post-match interview. “We scored a goal that is a fair goal,” he stated. “He was unable to enter that corner. However, the English referee made the decision to not allow it.
The prevailing sentiment of Premier League officiating was evident from Van Dijk’s need to identify the ‘English’ referee. There’s just a certain amount of animosity that needs to be addressed right now.
“VAR is here to stay and it is not going anywhere; my issue is with consistency,” Liverpool.com is exclusively informed by former Premier League referee Mark Halsey on behalf of Online Poker.
“Under Roberto Rosetti’s guidance and supervision, it functions incredibly well in UEFA championships and the World Cup. That’s the reason it does so well in the Champions League and the European Championship.
“It is highly subjective, but it didn’t work so well in the French and Netherlands game — an English official. The goal, in my opinion, ought to have been awarded because, according to Law 11, being offside does not automatically constitute a violation. Was there anything blocking the goalie’s view because of Dumfries? No, he wasn’t. He was never going to be able to commit to a save for me as a custodian.
“You then need to inquire about meddling. Did Dumfries affect the goalie’s ability to challenge or save a shot? I think that when it comes to the law, you have to say no. It should have been granted the goal.”
The main source of Van Dijk’s ire was his belief that the goal, which would have sent the Netherlands into the knockout stage as group winners, should have stood. However, there is also a problem with how quickly VAR rulings are made.
“I’ve not seen Van Dijk’s interview but for me, the goal should have been given,” Halsey said. “The longest VAR check we’ve seen at the Euros thus far lasted almost three minutes.
“Stuart Attwell ought to have suggested Anthony Taylor see the monitor for an evaluation. The assistant on that side, Adam Nunn, was unable to gauge Dumfries’s distance from the goalie. I believe the goal would have been awarded if they had examined that.
“There have been numerous discrepancies in the Premier League, and when Mike Riley took over as manager, the IFAB process wasn’t followed, which has caused VAR to perform poorly. Instead of the referees, he had the VARs make the calls. Going to the monitor, the referee must make the ultimate determination.
“There are a lot of decisions that we observe. After playing a game, we may notice a challenge in the box and think, “That’s a bit subjective,” but then you receive a review. The following day, the officials are re-officiating games to their own satisfaction because there is no review for that same challenge. It is there for the obvious and evident, not for that purpose.”
