Xavi Simons has broken his silence after being shown a red card in Tottenham’s 2-1 loss to Liverpool on Saturday, addressing the incident and sending a message to Virgil van Dijk.
Simons’ dismissal proved costly for Thomas Frank’s side, with Liverpool dominating much of the remaining 57 minutes. Goals from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike put the visitors in control, while Richarlison pulled one back for Spurs before Cristian Romero later became the second Tottenham player to be sent off.
After leaving the pitch visibly emotional, the 22-year-old—who has found his early spell in north London challenging—took to social media to comment on the decision. In an Instagram post, Simons insisted there was no malicious intent, writing that mistakes happen and stressing that Van Dijk is his captain, adding he would never deliberately try to hurt him or any other player.
Tottenham boss Thomas Frank also voiced his frustration with the decision when speaking on Match of the Day. The Danish manager argued the challenge did not warrant a red card, claiming it lacked both recklessness and excessive force and should have resulted in only a yellow.
As a result of the dismissal, Simons is now set to serve a three-match suspension, ruling him out of upcoming fixtures against Crystal Palace, Brentford and Sunderland—a significant setback for Frank as Spurs face a demanding festive schedule.
