Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has called for togetherness and unity across the club following a challenging summer, as the Reds endured a disappointing 3-2 penalty shootout defeat to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on Sunday.
The match at Wembley ended 2-2 after 90 minutes, with Arne Slot’s side twice taking the lead through new signings Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong, only to be pegged back by Palace with goals from John Phillipe Mateta and Ismalia Sarr.
In the resulting penalty shootout, Liverpool missed three spot-kicks, from Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister, and Harvey Elliott, while Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ismalia Sarr and younster Justin Devenny converted theirs to win the final.
But it was a moment before the match which has sparked tense discussions. Before the annual curtain raiser, a period of silence was planned for Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, who both died in a car accident in northern Spain in the early hours of July 3.
However, the solemn occasion was broken by a small group of Crystal Palace supporters who disrupted the silence, an act that left many, including Van Dijk, deeply disappointed and angry.
The Dutchman expressed when asked about the incident, clearly hurt by the disrespect shown at such a sensitive time.
“Yeah, I’m disappointed. That’s the only thing I can say. But it is what it is. You can’t control how many fans were here today? Was it 80,000 people in the stadium?”
Van Dijk has also emphasised the importance of togetherness within the club. The tragic loss of Jota has cast a long shadow over Liverpool’s summer, and the captain acknowledges the emotional toll this has taken on players, staff, and fans alike.
“It will be a very difficult season but we are all in this together.
As a team, fans, it was always going to be tough with everything that happened. The only way to overcome it is together.”
Liverpool’s Premier League campaign kicks off on Friday with a home fixture at Anfield against Bournemouth. After a turbulent pre-season and a disappointing Community Shield result the club captain’s words underline the collective spirit Liverpool will need to rely on to navigate a season marked by both grief and high expectations.
