Liverpool manager Arne Slot acknowledged that he must set a better example in the future after his expletive-filled outburst at referee Michael Oliver following the Merseyside derby against Everton.
Slot lost his temper after Everton’s dramatic stoppage-time equalizer from James Tarkowski leveled the match 2-2, feeling that several key decisions had gone against Liverpool. In his frustration, Slot stormed onto the pitch, telling Oliver that he’d “fking gave them everything,” and adding, “if we don’t win the league, I’ll fking blame you.”
As a result, the FA handed Slot and his assistant, Spike Hulshoff, a two-match touchline ban (which only applies to domestic competitions and does not affect their upcoming Champions League match against PSG) and fined the Dutch manager £70,000.
Ahead of Liverpool’s first-leg clash with PSG, Slot admitted that his emotions had gotten the better of him. “At that moment, I was quite emotional about everything that happened in the last seven or eight minutes and maybe the whole game,” Slot said. “I chose to go on the pitch instead of staying calm and speaking to Michael. Now that the emotions have settled, I realize I should have set a better example and avoided that situation altogether.”
He added, “It’s clear what I’ve written and what Michael has written in the report. Michael has been in the news a lot recently, and I don’t think adding anything to that helps now that my emotions are under control.”
Oliver has faced significant scrutiny this season, including for his controversial red card decision against Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly, which was later overturned upon appeal. He also received threats and was placed under police protection after that incident. Oliver was also the referee during the FA Cup tie between Crystal Palace and Millwall, where Jean-Philippe Mateta suffered a serious head injury after a high boot from goalkeeper Liam Roberts. Roberts was only dismissed after VAR intervention.
