Virgil Van Dijk made the headlines on Monday after appearing to troll Cristiano Ronaldo during Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony. The Portuguese superstar was a no-show for the ceremony and when asked about his absence, the Liverpool ace took a jibe at the five-time winner.
Absence from the gala usually means that the player is not in the running for the award and that was true for Cristiano, as he came in third. When asked if this meant he had one less rival to overcome to win his first Ballon d’Or, the Dutchman responded by saying: "Was Cristiano Ronaldo really a rival?"
This comment did not sit well with Ronaldo’s legion of supporters who flocked in great numbers to hit back at the Anfield ace over his remarks. Even the Juventus superstar’s sister Katia Aveiro slammed the Reds center-back, taking to social media in a lengthy rant against the defender.
The Portugal captain's sibling went on Instagram to defend her brother, bashing the former Southampton and Celtic defender. She argued that Van Dijk has no right to even sit at a table with Ronaldo, pointing to the attacker's illustrious career and trophy cabinet.
“Now, dear Virgil, where you are going, Cristiano Ronaldo has gone and has come a thousand times," she wrote.
“You see, my dear Virgil, that Cristiano Ronaldo was a tri-champion in the country where you have been playing for years and you still haven't got your hand on the trophy.
“Cristiano Ronaldo was even the best player and best scorer in the country where you play Virgil. By the way, he was even younger than you.
“Then, dear Virgil, Cristiano Ronaldo went to other places and became the greatest player in the history of a club, Real Madrid. Tell you something Virgil? Maybe so, because this club, with this Cristiano guy, even beat you in the Champions League final.
“Of these, Ronaldo already has 5, Virgil. And that fellow Ronaldo and team-mates, with the corners on his chest, crushed your "orange" in a final (Nations League final between Portugal and Holland).
“Was it hard, Virgil? We have pity. And, dear Virgil, in one of the least successful times of his career, Cristiano Ronaldo has won even more titles than you. Awesome, isn't it?
“Now Virgil will win titles from those who really count and then we'll talk. When you have a handful of them, the really important ones, you might be able to sit at the table with Cristiano. Or as they say in our land, it grows and appears!
“It's for me @cristiano you are and you will always be the best player in the world!!!”
A passionate defense from someone who truly loves and cares for the 34-year-old. Van Dijk did appear to explain his remark on Twitter in a reply to famous journalist Piers Morgan.
Morgan, an outspoken fan of Ronaldo, also slammed the Liverpool sensation for his remarks but Virgil hit back at the Arsenal fans, insisting that it was merely a joke. Check out his tweet below.
Hi Piers, If you don’t jump on the social media bandwagon and would listen to the whole interview then you would know I made a joke, and only got respect for those 2
— Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk) December 2, 2019