Jurgen Klopp has dismissed Rafael van der Vaart's comparison of Virgil van Dijk to a Boeing 747, insisting that the former Tottenham midfielder's opinion does not matter. Van der Vaart criticised his Netherlands compatriot van Dijk after the 2-2 draw with Japan at the World Cup.
Van der Vaart's Criticism
The Dutch surrendered two leads in their World Cup opener, with Daichi Kamada's late goal securing a share of the points in Texas. Ronald Koeman's team faced heavy criticism for their performance and tactical approach as they attempted to defend their lead. Van der Vaart led the backlash on Dutch television, slamming Koeman's overly negative approach while reserving a particular barb for the Liverpool and Netherlands captain. "I must honestly say that I was a bit shocked by van Dijk," he said while analysing the final goal. "That turning... It was a bit of a Boeing 747. I hope he will run a little faster during the tournament."
Klopp's Response
Van Dijk opened the scoring against Japan and was awarded the man of the match award. He dismissed the criticism of the team's approach, and the 5-1 thrashing of Sweden, featuring braces from Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo, put the debate to rest. However, van Dijk's former Liverpool manager Klopp was not willing to let it lie. Appearing on German television as a pundit for the Sweden match, the head of global soccer for Red Bull took the opportunity to return fire at van der Vaart. "I don't know if it's worth naming Rafael van der Vaart at all," Klopp said on MagentaTV. "But if he ever says something positive about a player, I'm willing to take him seriously again. You have the feeling that he sees something, which then has to be expressed in a flowery way and then he goes against it. But it's not that important."
Van der Vaart's Apology and Van Dijk's Injury
The van Dijk comments were not the only thing from van der Vaart that made headlines following the draw with Japan. The 43-year-old former playmaker was forced to apologise after saying that the Japanese players "look alike." With Brobbey and Gakpo thriving at the other end of the pitch, van Dijk was much less busy in the win over Sweden. He was burnt for pace by Anthony Elanga, who scored a consolation for Graham Potter's side, but overall enjoyed a much better night, having been up against his Liverpool teammate Alexander Isak. There was a concern after the match, though, with the 34-year-old defender revealing that he suffered an injury. "I took a hard hit to my hip, and I couldn't feel my upper leg anymore, so that was a little bit crazy," van Dijk told NOS. "But it was probably just a pinched nerve. I think it is not too bad, but we will see shortly." Van Dijk will be hoping to be fit for the Netherlands' final Group F fixture against bottom side Tunisia in Kansas City on Thursday.
