Slot said ref Oliver to blame if Liverpool fail to win title

Arne Slot, manager of Liverpool, told referee Michael Oliver that he would hold him accountable if the club didn’t win the Premier League this season.

Following his side’s 2-2 Merseyside derby draw with Everton last month, the Dutchman received a straight red card after confronting Oliver and one of his assistant referees on the pitch.

After accepting a charge of acting improperly, using insulting and/or abusive language and/or behavior toward both the match referee and an assistant referee, Slot was given a two-game ban and a £70, 000 fine from the independent Football Association commission.

Oliver claimed that Slot said, “If we don’t win the league, I’ll [expletive] blame you” while shaking the official’s hand.

Slot claimed he would have been paid for the alleged language used instead of saying, “If we don’t win the league, I will have you to thank for that.”

However, the commission determined that Arne Slot’s use of language by the referee and the FA was “more likely than not”.

The FA claimed that the disparity didn’t significantly affect the sanction because the words were still used to represent Slot acting improperly.

Slot acknowledged that and did not object to Slot’s statement of “expletive disgrace” to the assistant referee during his enrage.

The Reds manager was also said to be “expletive give them everything,” according to the FA, and the FA hoped the referee was “proud of that performance.”

Because he believed some of the decisions made during the game were ineffective, Slot acknowledged that his actions were unacceptable and that he let his frustrations get the better of him.

He has since apologized since, both in private and in public, according to the commission.

Due to mitigating factors, including Slot’s apology, accepting the charge as soon as possible, and his lack of previous misconduct, Slot’s fine was decreased from £100,000.

Before Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 first-leg encounter with Paris St-Germain on Wednesday, Slot said: “I was quite emotional about] everything that transpired.

Instead of staying calm and speaking to Michael [Oliver], I decided to go on the pitch. I should set a better example by setting these emotions aside so that I don’t have them right now.

Sipke Hulshoff, Slot’s assistant coach, was also given a two-game touchline ban and a £7, 000 fine after the FA claimed he approached Oliver in a “very aggressive manner” and described him as “expletive disgrace.”

Everton and Liverpool both admitted to making mistakes by failing to prevent their players from acting offensively or provocatively.

James Tarkowski’s dramatic 98th-minute equalizer for Everton, which was determined following a video assistant referee (VAR) check, set off the late chaos at Goodison Park.

Due to Beto’s shove on Reds defender Ibrahima Konate in the build-up, Liverpool were adamant that the goal should not have been allowed.

Abdoulaye Doucoure, a midfielder for Everton, celebrated in front of the Liverpool fans at the final whistle before being confronted by visiting midfielder Curtis Jones, who sent both players off for second yellow cards.

After approaching Oliver on the field, Slot and Hulshoff both received red cards.

After the international break, when his team face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final on March 16, Slot’s first domestic game will be against the dugout.