Van Dijk comforts bereaved referee after Dutch equaliser

Virgil van Dijk scored a last-minute equaliser for the Netherlands last night against Germany, but today he’s being applauded for something very different.

In the wake of the 2-2 draw in Gelsenkirchen, in which strikes from Timo Werner and Leroy Sane were cancelled out by Quincy Promes and van Dijk late on, the Liverpool centre-back was seen comforting the match official.

Ovidiu Hategan, 38, was recently bereaved after losing his mother, and footage captured while the Dutch team celebrated showed Van Dijk embracing the Romanian referee.

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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 24: Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool in Liverpool’s match against Red Star Belgrade at Anfield on 24 October 2018 in Liverpool, England. (Photograph: AP)

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Despite just having helped his side secure top spot in their group and a place in the UEFA Nations League finals next year, Van Dijk was more concerned for Hategan.

“That man broke down, stood with tears in his eyes because he had just lost his mother,” Van Dijk explained afterwards.

“I wished him strength and said that he had blown well. It’s a small thing, but maybe it helps him.”

The Echo report that Van Dijk also gave his warm-up jacket to a seven-year-old mascot with muscle disease just before the Netherlands’ previous international clash with France.

The towering centre-back returns to action with Liverpool this weekend when they take on Watford at Vicarage Road.

The post Van Dijk comforts bereaved referee after Dutch equaliser appeared first on AnfieldHQ.

Source: anfieldhq.com