Soccer Player Consoles Ref Whose Mother Died During The Match

November 21, 2018

A soccer player for Netherlands consoled a referee after he learned that the official's mother had passed away during the game.

Virgil van Dijk was captured on film consoling referee Ovidiu Hategan after the match against Germany on Monday night.

Van Dijk said he had noticed that Hategan seemed emotional and, after asking what was wrong, the Romanian official revealed he had recently lost his mother.

"That man broke, stood with tears in his eyes because he had just lost his mother," Van Dijk told Voetbal International.

"I wished him strength and said that he had refereed well. It might be something small, but I hope it helped."