[Sport] The moment when Ovidiu Hațegan found out that his mother had died. Van Dijk's gesture and the whole story in a UEFA documentary

[Mindsphere.]

The moment when Ovidiu Hațegan found out that his mother had died. Van Dijk's gesture and the whole story in a UEFA documentary

 

 

Ovidiu Hațegan (40 years old) is the protagonist of the second episode of the documentary that the European Football Union (UEFA) launched on the market, dedicated to the Champions League referees.
"It's a very important documentary for UEFA and our family of referees. It highlights the professional rigor, motivation and dedication of some of the best referees in Europe, but also shows the human side behind the figures that players and fans see on the pitch ", said the head of UEFA referees, Roberto Rosetti.

The match during which Ovidiu Hațegan found out about his mother's death
"Man in the middle", episode 2, was dedicated to Ovidiu Hațegan. Specifically, it is about the match Germany - Netherlands 2-2, which counted for Group 1 of the League of Nations, in November 2018.

For Hațegan, it was probably the hardest moment of his career. During the break of the match, he found out that his mother, who was hospitalized and was seriously ill, died.
Ovidiu Hațegan: "He gave me the T-shirt as a souvenir"
At the end of the game, Virgil Van Dijk, the Liverpool defender who had great chances to win the Golden Ball in 2019, went to comfort him after the Romanian burst into tears. In April 2019, Hațegan met again with the Dutch defender, being a reserve in a match of the "cormorants" with FC Porto.

"It was a truly human gesture, a gesture that shows solidarity, support that exists between people. These are normal things, that's how we should behave. We can understand them up to a point.

When the match is over, these things are put aside. It is vital that we try to help those around us. That's my philosophy of life. Especially now that we are going through difficult times.

I've met Virgil before. He noticed these things, not everyone. We met after that match, in Liverpool - Porto, he also gave me his shirt. He came and gave me the T-shirt as a souvenir. A pleasant moment. We have to be strong ", said Ovidiu Hațegan, at Digi Sport Special, after that match.

In the post-match interview, Van Dijk (29 years old), the man who equalized in the extra time, explained the drama experienced by the Romanian referee.

"The man gave in nervously. He had tears in his eyes, because he had just found out that he had lost his mother. I told him to be strong and I told him that he led the match very well. It's a small thing, but maybe it helps him. ", was Van Dijk's statement, taken over by the Dutch press.

"What a man Virgil is!", Commented the Dutch, proud of the gesture made by the Liverpool defender.