Virgil van Dijk publicly criticized French media for disrespectful questions toward Jürgen Klopp, then emphasized that all Liverpool players still have faith in their manager following a 3-0 away win at Marseille in the UCL.
On 22 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool captain, clearly expressed his displeasure over what he saw as a "disrespectful" question directed at Jürgen Klopp, the manager. The question, posed by a media outlet, concerned the possibility of Xabi Alonso replacing Klopp at Anfield.
This question was raised during a pre-match press conference ahead of the UEFA Champions League game in France. Klopp even laughed before calling it one of the "strangest" questions in his coaching career. Afterward, Liverpool showed reluctance to answer further questions from that particular journalist.
After Liverpool's 3-0 victory over Marseille, which brought them closer to qualifying for the knockout stage, van Dijk opened up about the issue, saying:
"I think that question was disrespectful. Criticism is part of football; we all understand that well. But questions like that go beyond the limits."
The Dutch international defender stressed that all players remain fully behind the manager amid a season marked by many changes, including players, playing style, and team integration.
"It's a challenging time for both the players and the manager, but in my opinion, he has handled it very well."
Van Dijk also spoke about the nature of football, where everyone is judged by results.
"Ultimately, this is a results-driven business. Players, coaches, and everyone involved are judged based on that, and that's what we constantly strive to improve."