Virgil van Dijk sends scathing message to fans who disrupted minute's silence for Diogo Jota during Liverpool's Community Shield defeat

Referee Chris Kavanagh was forced to cut the tribute short after noise emerged from the Palace section of the stadium, drawing sharp disapproval from around the ground. The unwanted disturbance cast a shadow over an otherwise high-octane clash that ended 2-2 before Palace snatched victory in a penalty shootout. 

Van Dijk did not hide his feelings after the incident, describing himself as “disappointed” with the behaviour of those responsible.

“Yeah, I’m disappointed,” Van Dijk said. “That’s the only thing I can say. There was plenty trying to sush it down, but obviously that doesn’t help them. It is what it is. You can’t control…… how many people were here? 80,000, so yeah, it’s disappointing to hear that. But if those persons can go home and be happy with themselves, then……”

However, Liverpool boss Arne Slot took a more diplomatic approach, hinting that the disruption may not have been deliberate.

“I don’t think this was planned. Maybe the fan was not aware of the minute’s silence and was happy and tried to cheer for his team, then the Palace fans tried to calm him down and our fans reacted," he said. “I don’t think they had a bad intention. I’m a positive person. I look at the respect paid to Diogo and Andre across the world.”

Before the whistle blew, there was a deeply moving scene as Liverpool legend Ian Rush and Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish stepped forward to lay wreaths in memory of Jota and his brother. 

Liverpool begin their Premier League title defence at Anfield against Bournemouth on Friday, 15th, with Van Dijk and his teammates determined to put this episode behind them.  For Van Dijk, however, the hope is clear: the next time football pauses to remember two lives cut short, it will be marked with the silence and dignity such moments demand.