Klopp defends Van Dijk after Dutch press singles out Netherlands captain over World Cup exit

Germany manager Jurgen Klopp has publicly defended Virgil van Dijk against criticism from the Dutch press, backing his former Liverpool captain ahead of Thursday’s Nations League fixture between the Netherlands and Germany in Amsterdam.

Van Dijk found himself at the centre of a media storm following the Netherlands’ round-of-16 exit at the World Cup, where they were beaten on penalties by Morocco. Reports suggested the defender had influenced a tactical decision made by then-head coach Ronald Koeman, a claim Van Dijk flatly denied when addressing Dutch journalists ahead of the Nations League campaign, calling the accusation “nonsense” and insisting that World Cup matches are won and lost as a team.

Klopp, who replaced Julian Nagelsmann as Germany head coach after the World Cup, drew a pointed comparison between the Dutch and German press corps when asked about the situation at his own pre-match media briefing. “Our German journalists are pretty good [at being critical] too,” he said. “I haven’t really followed the Dutch press, but I assume you weren’t happy with the elimination. Then the captain gets more criticism too.”

The Germany manager acknowledged that Van Dijk’s profile makes him a natural target. “Virgil has had a lot of great moments in his career and also a few lesser ones. Because he is not only physically present, but normally also because of his performances, I can imagine that he gets singled out a bit.”

Few people in football are better placed to speak to Van Dijk’s qualities than Klopp. The centre-back made 270 appearances under him at Liverpool, where the pair won the Premier League and the Champions League together.

Thursday’s match carries an additional layer of intrigue given the number of Premier League connections in the Dutch squad. New Netherlands head coach Xavi — taking charge of the national side for the first time after replacing Koeman — has called up Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo, both of whom were managed by Klopp at Anfield, as well as newer Liverpool arrival Jeremie Frimpong. In total, 10 of the Dutch players have been drawn from the Premier League.

The two nations last met in the previous Nations League competition, with Germany winning their home fixture after a 2-2 draw in Amsterdam. The Netherlands’ most recent victory over Germany was a 4-2 win in a European Championship qualifier in September 2019.