The fallout to a tempestuous final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park has continued with the Football Association charging Everton, Liverpool, Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff.
Slot has been charged with allegedly acting in an improper manner and/or using insulting and/or abusive words and/or behaviour towards both the match referee and an assistant referee after the 2-2 draw. He was shown a red card by the referee, Michael Oliver, and faces an extended touchline ban if found guilty.
Hulshoff, who received his red card in the tunnel after the game, is also accused of acting in an improper manner and/or using insulting and/or abusive words and/or behaviour towards a match official. It is further alleged that Liverpool’s assistant manager acted in an improper manner and/or used insulting and/or abusive words and/or behaviour towards a match official after being sent off.
The two clubs have been charged with failing to ensure their players and/or occupants of their technical areas did not behave in an improper and/or provocative way following the final whistle. Everton, Liverpool, Slot and Hulshoff have until next Wednesday, 19 February, to respond.
Speaking before the charges were issued, Slot expressed regret for allowing emotions to get the better of him on Wednesday and said he hopes to react “differently next time”.
Slot would not disclose details of his exchange with Oliver, which came amid chaotic scenes when the Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones and Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucouré were also sent off. But the Dutchman was contrite about his behaviour on the pitch. “I think what happened was that the extra time, the additional five minutes ended up being eight, a lot happened and emotions got the better of me,” he said. “If I look back at it, I would love to do it differently. I’m hoping to do it differently next time. What exactly has been said or what has happened, there is an ongoing process and I don’t want to disturb that. I can’t go into details.”
Slot explained that several incidents caused his anger to rise during stoppage time at Goodison, and not only Oliver’s and the video assistant referee’s refusal to penalise the Everton striker Beto for a push on Ibrahima Konaté in the build-up to James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute leveller.
“Many things happened in extra time that led to me being quite emotional,” he said. “There was a VAR incident for two minutes where he checked. I thought maybe the only thing that could happen was he looked back at the foul. Then I thought: ‘Maybe it’s offside?’ Then of course you hear their fans cheering and you think: ‘OK, it wasn’t offside.’ Many things happened in extra time but, like I said, it wouldn’t be smart to go into every single incident.”
Liverpool will be without the suspended Jones for Sunday’s visit of Wolves. Cody Gakpo could also miss out with a foot injury sustained in the derby. Slot intends to speak to Jones about his furious reaction to Doucouré celebrating in front of the Liverpool fans, but backed the home-grown midfielder.
“I like a lot that he stands up for the team – for the team and for the fans – but there are other ways to do that maybe,” said Slot. “I will talk with him about that, but it is the same for me. I should have acted differently after the game as well. It’s an emotional sport and sometimes individuals, out of emotion, make the wrong decision. That’s definitely what I did.” – Guardian
