Arne Slot’s expletive-laden outburst at Michael Oliver revealed
The Times
FA says Liverpool head coach told referee Michael Oliver that ‘if we don’t win the league, I’ll f***ing blame you’ in rant following dramatic Merseyside derby last month.
Liverpool’s head coach Arne Slot told the referee Michael Oliver after the heated end of the Merseyside derby that “if we don’t win the league, I’ll f***ing blame you,” according to the judgment of the disciplinary case.
Slot was given a two-match touchline ban by an FA regulatory commission after being shown the red card by Oliver after the 2-2 draw on February 12, and he was fined £70,000 after accepting the charge of using insulting words and/or behaviour.
Oliver reported that the 46-year-old Liverpool boss approached him at the end of the match when tensions were running high after James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute equaliser for Everton.
“It was alleged that AS’ [Slot] manner was confrontational and aggressive. It was alleged that he initially used abusive words whilst shaking the referee’s hand including that the referee had ‘f***ing give them everything’,” the judgment said.
Oliver then reported he was approached again by Slot about a minute later. “In this exchange, AS once again shook the referee’s hand and said ‘if we don’t win the league, I’ll f***ing blame you’. It is then further alleged that AS turned to the assistant referee and shouted twice that it was “a f***ing disgrace,” according to the written reasons of the case.
Slot’s assistant Sipke Hulshoff was also banned from the touchline for two matches. The judgment said he was alleged to have gone on to the pitch to confront Oliver in an “extremely aggressive manner”, and said “‘the referee was ‘f***ing Sh*t’ and ‘gave them everything’.”
In his submission Slot disputed the language alleged to have been used and suggested there may have been confusion between what he and Hulshoff said to the referee.
“AS asserts that he in fact said, ‘if we don’t win the league, I will have you to thank for that’,” the judgement says, but the FA maintained that Slot’s language was as reported by the match officials and in any event did not make a material difference to the sanction. Slot did not dispute “stating ‘f***ing disgrace’ to the assistant referee”.
The controversial finale to the 2-2 draw also saw a mass confrontation between players which saw Liverpool’s Curtis Jones and Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucouré sent off. Both clubs were fined for failing to control their players.