Ex-Premier League referee: Virgil van Dijk should get extended ban as controversial Liverpool image emerges
Virgil van Dijk should have been sent off as Liverpool drew 0-0 with Everton on Saturday (3 September), according to Keith Hackett.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee insisted Van Dijk’s challenge on Amadou Onana endangered the safety of his opponent.
In the closing stages at Goodison Park, the 31-year-old appeared to stamped on his opponent but was only shown a yellow card.
VAR did not feel Anthony Taylor had made a clear and obvious error and the decision was not overturned.
A red card would have seen Van Dijk banned for Liverpool for their next three domestic games.
“Across Europe, that is a red card,” Hackett said after analysing the footage with Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley.
“It’s one of those that we are seeing often now, almost on a weekly basis, a stamping action on the lower leg and boot of the opponent.
“In my day, that would have been considered an over-the-top challenge, resulting in a red card.
“The Premier League and the PGMOL have got to determine whether this is a red card or with raising the bar are we making it a yellow?
“Look, Anthony Taylor is a very experienced referee and he is saying to the world, this is a yellow card. I’ll live with that because Anthony Taylor is one of two world-class referees in England.
“If everyone in the Premier League agrees it’s not a red card, it’s not a red card.
“There is a danger of this escalating into mass confrontation and retaliation. We are not at the business end of the season. There is also a risk of players getting injured
“Taylor is a world-class referee and he operates under Uefa. Next week, he’s got one of the big games in Europe, is he going to operate that same stance in Europe?
“Let’s say in law, we are going to raise the bar and that’s a yellow card from now on.
“The question the referee has got to ask, does that challenge endanger the safety of his opponent?
“This is the leadership that’s lacking in the PGMOL. The PGMOL should say this is a challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent and therefore should result in a red card.
“They should be saying that to the LMA and the PFA because we need this type of challenge to be outlawed.”
In other news, Kieran Maguire has claimed Liverpool are to cash in from a new deal “very soon” after a £428million U-turn.