Sky Sports had to issue a swift apology just moments into the Carabao Cup final after Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was caught on microphone using explicit language.
As Liverpool, the defending champions, faced Newcastle at Wembley, Van Dijk gathered his teammates for a motivational huddle following the national anthem and handshakes. With cameras and microphones focused on the group, the Dutch defender was heard passionately urging his team, saying, “We worked so hard to be here. Let’s f*ing do this together. Come on!”
The strong language was quickly picked up by viewers, prompting commentator Peter Drury to start his coverage with an apology for the profanity.
Van Dijk, who scored the decisive goal in last season’s final against Chelsea, sparked a wave of reactions online with his emotional speech.
One fan on X (formerly Twitter) pointed out: “Sky/ITV zoomed in on the Liverpool huddle and you could clearly hear Van Dijk: ‘We worked so hard to be here. Let’s f*ing do this.’ They immediately flashed an apology for the bad language.”
Another commented: “They zoomed in too close to Liverpool’s huddle, now kids worldwide heard Van Dijk say, ‘Let’s f*ing do it together!’ The commentator had to apologize—maybe don’t get so close next time. Not everything needs to be televised.”
A third wrote: “Sky apologizing for Van Dijk’s swearing when the camera was right in the middle of the huddle before a final — absolutely ridiculous.”
Someone else added: “Sky apologizing for Van Dijk swearing in the huddle. Football’s gone soft.”
Another joked: “Sky Sports probably regretting that close-up after Van Dijk let that slip.”
Liverpool, aiming to extend their record of 10 League Cup wins, faced a Newcastle side with four titles, though the Magpies’ last major trophy dates back to their 1955 FA Cup victory.
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