Virgil van Dijk and the Netherlands are preparing for the big match against France led by Ibrahima Konate tonight, and in this regard, the Liverpool captain met the press with the national team manager Ronald Koeman.
Of course, the Liverpool captain received a lot of questions regarding the Netherlands, but there was also some tension when the busy fixture schedule became a topic.
– In England, we think the calendar is very demanding. We get paid well, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of our health. We have to keep playing more and more matches. We players must start talking to find a solution, He said.
Annoyed by the journalist
The 33-year-old certainly has a point. With the Premier League, Europa League, League Cup and FA Cup, plus Netherlands internationals, Van Dijk could end up with a total of 73 appearances this season, ahead of the European Championship in June.
This gives an average of one match every four days from the first round of the Premier League (13 August 2023) to the FA Cup Final (25 May 2024).
The Dutchman became annoyed when the journalist asked him if he would be willing to take a pay cut to play fewer matches:
– No, the stopper’s answer was short.
– What about your health?
– Then yes.
– Why did you answer “no” to the first question?
– Because it shouldn’t depend on my salary? What about all the extra tournaments? Nations League? Money from there does not affect my salary. Van Dijk concluded that it is a matter of rewards, but there is no guarantee.
The Dutch face France and Greece in the coming days. Netherlands – France is broadcast on TV 2 Play from 20.45 tonight.
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