Xavi Simmons admitted his mistake and issued an apology to Virgil van Dijk after being sent off in the match where Spurs lost 1-2 to Liverpool.
On 21 December 2025, Xavi Simmons, the Netherlands international midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, made his first public statement after being sent off in a Premier League match where the "Spurs" lost 1-2 at home to Liverpool. He also sent an apology message to Virgil van Dijk, the Reds' captain and captain of the Netherlands national team.
The game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium began tensely before a pivotal moment in the first half when Simmons made a heavy tackle on Van Dijk. VAR summoned the referee to review the incident on the sideline monitor and upgraded the punishment from a yellow card to a straight red card.
Losing a player so early left Thomas Frank's team at a disadvantage for the remaining 57 minutes, as Liverpool continuously pressured them. Spurs conceded two goals from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike. Although Richarlison scored a consolation goal for the home side, the situation worsened when Cristian Romero became the second Spurs player to receive a red card.
After being sent off, 22-year-old Simmons showed clear remorse. He recently posted on Instagram to explain the incident and apologized to Van Dijk.
"Mistakes can happen. Virgil is my captain. I never intended to harm him or anyone else."
"To my Spurs teammates, coaches, and fans, I take responsibility for what happened and I am truly sorry."