Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has been told he has ‘zero leadership skills’ and Ruud Gullit has slammed the underperforming Dutch captain.
We suffered two defeats in the Nations League final
The Reds centre-back occupied the armband
Dutch icon let down by supposedly key men
WHAT HAPPENED? The Dutch suffered a disastrous end to their 2023 UEFA Nations League season as they suffered back-to-back defeats to Croatia and Italy to finish this competition in fourth place.
Returning head coach Ronald Koeman has now suffered three defeats in four games, with Gullit feeling let down by supposed leaders on the pitch such as armband-holding Van Dijk and Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
WHAT THEY SAY: Dutch legend Gullit said of De Telegraaf: “I think Van Dijk and De Jong don’t have any leadership qualities. In fact, I’m asking them for something they don’t have. They need more attention to their own game. It’s hard for a coach to work without a leader on the pitch and Van Dijk and De Jong should be those leaders.”
THE OVERVIEW: It’s not the first time Van Dijk’s captaincy has been questioned. Marco van Basten called him “arrogant” and accused the Liverpool star of causing “chaos” in a 4-0 loss to France in March.
WHAT’S NEXT? Van Dijk, now 31, has 58 caps for his country and hopes under his watch – having reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup – a spark can be reignited as the Netherlands return in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
