Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has received an additional one-match ban and a £100,000 fine after refusing to leave the pitch following his red card at Newcastle and calling referee John Brooks’ decision “a f***ing joke”.
The Netherlands international was dismissed for a foul on Alexander Isak in the first half of Liverpool’s 2-1 victory at St James’ Park on August 27 but there was a lengthy delay while VAR checked all aspects of the offence.
Because the incident was featured in Sky Sports’ Match Officials: Mic’d Up this week – where head of the Professional Game Match Officials Howard Webb dissected the discussion between Brooks and his officials – the on-field conversation was also broadcast.
While waiting for a final ruling Brooks could be heard telling Van Dijk: “I’ll tell you, but you need to go immediately if you need to go.
“It’s clearly a foul, they’re just checking the location… Don’t do anything silly.”
On confirmation of the red card Brooks said: “Free-kick. Go, go. Go now,” to which Van Dijk replied “F***ing joke”.
The Dutch centre-back served a one-match suspension last weekend in the home win over Aston Villa but after admitting a Football Association charge of acting in an improper manner and using insulting words to a match official the punishment was increased.
It means Van Dijk will now sit out the trip to Wolves on September 16.
A statement from the FA read: “Virgil van Dijk has been suspended for one match and fined £100,000 for breaching FA Rule E3.1 during Liverpool’s Premier League fixture against Newcastle on Sunday August 27.
“The defender admitted that he acted in an improper manner and used abusive and insulting words towards a match official after being sent off in the 29th minute, and the sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent regulatory commission.”
Klopp reflects on 'special' Liverpool stint as tenure draws to a close
Jurgen Klopp reflected on his "special" stint in charge of Liverpool ahead of his final game on Sunday.
Klopp will manage Liverpool for the last time when the Reds take on Wolves in their final Premier League match of the season.
Having taken over in 2015, Klopp has led Liverpool to their maiden Premier League title, a Champions League crown, the FA Cup, multiple EFL Cups, as well as the Super Cup and Club World Cup titles.
While this season's Premier League title challenge ultimately fizzled out, Klopp used his programme notes to laud his players and staff for their efforts.
He wrote: "If space allowed I could write name after name of people who I need to thank but there has never been a match programme of this size, so I will have to be more general. I could not be more appreciative of the players past and present who have served this club in the nine years that I have been here.
"What they have achieved in that time is special, not just in terms of the moments they have created and the success they have had, but also in the way they have underlined what it is to represent LFC.
"This will be the final time that we will see two of them – Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara – at Anfield and I know they will be given the send-off that they deserve.
"You do not need me to tell you what they have achieved as individuals, you have experienced it all at first hand and as with others who have left us in recent seasons, they have more than made their mark on this club during a period which I think has been memorable for all of us.
"This will also be the end of an era for several members of our coaching and backroom staff who will also move on. To put it simply, I could not have more appreciation for the work that has been done by Pep Lijnders, Peter Krawietz, Vitor Matos, John Achterberg, Jack Robinson, Andreas Kornmayer, Andreas Schlumberger and Ray Haughan.
"The big positive for Liverpool is that no matter who is leaving, the club is still in a very, very good place. This season we aimed for the moon and ended up in the stars which is never too bad and the players and staff who are remaining are top, top class.
"Yes, they will have new leadership before too long but this is a club that is ready to take the journey in a new and exciting direction, not one that is ready for the journey to come to an end."
Feyenoord coach Arne Slot confirmed on Friday that he would be replacing Klopp.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Liverpool - Mohamed Salah
Salah is set to make his 250th Premier League appearance for Liverpool in this match. The Egyptian already has the second-highest combined goals and assists tally by any player in their first 250 appearances for a single club in the competition (223 – 155 goals, 68 assists), behind only Thierry Henry for Arsenal (243 – 171 goals, 72 assists).
Wolves - Hwang Hee-chan
No Wolves player has scored more Premier League goals this season than Hwang Hee-chan (12). He gave his side the lead in the reverse fixture against Liverpool at Molineux – the last Wolves player to score home and away against the Reds in a league campaign was John Richards in 1972-73.
MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN
Liverpool have conceded at least once in each of their last 10 Premier League home games. They last had a longer run without a league clean sheet at home between January and November 1954, a run of 17 games that included relegation to the second division.
Between Christmas Eve and March 9, only the current top three sides earned more points in the Premier League than Wolves (22 – W7 D1 L3). Since then, only Sheffield United (two) have won fewer points than Gary O’Neil's side (five), with Wolves winning just one of their last nine (D2 L6).
Wolves have lost eight and won just one of their nine Premier League games on MD38. Their win rate of 11 per cent on the final day is the lowest of any side currently in the competition, while their current run of losing seven consecutive such games is the joint-longest in English top-flight history.
Liverpool have won 13 of their last 14 Premier League meetings with Wolves, with the exception being a 3-0 loss at Molineux in February last season.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Liverpool - 65.6%
Wolves - 12.7%
Draw - 21.7%
Al-Nassr 1-1 Al-Hilal: Mitrovic scores last-gasp penalty
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a penalty in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time as Al-Hilal denied Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr victory in a 1-1 draw.
Mitrovic netted his 27th Saudi Pro League goal of the campaign after Sadio Mane was harshly judged to have fouled Saud Abdulhamid in the area.
Mane stuck out an arm to shield the ball, catching his opponent in the throat, though the contact appeared to have been outside of the box.
Mitrovic made no mistake to keep Al-Hilal's unbeaten campaign going.
The Serbian's spot-kick cancelled out Otavio's first-minute opener, with Ronaldo having set up his compatriot.
Champions Al-Hilal remain 12 points clear of Al-Nassr at the summit of the Pro League standings.
Data Debrief: Ronaldo the provider
Ronaldo leads the scoring charts in Saudi Arabia this season, though he had to settle for an assist on Friday.
That came from the only chance he created, with the 39-year-old limited to 25 touches, though he did have four shots.
Arne Slot confirms he is taking charge at Liverpool
Arne Slot has confirmed he is taking over at Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp will manage his final game at Anfield on Sunday, when the Reds host Wolves.
Liverpool have not yet officially confirmed the German's replacement, but as expected, it will be Slot.
The Feyenoord coach confirmed in a press conference on Friday that he will be joining Liverpool.
"I can confirm that I will become the coach there next year," Slot said.
The Reds are certain to finish third in the Premier League this season, with the EFL Cup – achieved with a victory over Chelsea on penalties – their lone silverware in 2023-24 despite a commendable push for title glory, with Manchester City and Arsenal pulling clear in the closing stages of the campaign.
Liverpool also had hopes of success in the Europa League and FA Cup before losing in the quarter-finals in both competitions to Atalanta and Manchester United respectively.
Feyenoord confirmed Slot's departure, posting a video on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption: "The Arne Slot era is coming to an end. Let's enjoy the last moments."
Slot's final game will see Feyenoord take on local rivals Excelsior. His team are second to PSV in the Eredivisie but they are ending the season in sensational form.
They have five straight league wins going into Sunday's last match and are on a 19-match unbeaten top-flight run, with their last defeat coming against champions PSV on December 3.
Sunday's match will be Slot's 150th in charge of Feyenoord in all competitions. He has won 97 (65.1 per cent) of his 149 games so far.
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