Arne Slot said referee Michael Oliver to blame if Liverpool missed out on title

Merseyside derby referee Michael Oliver claimed Liverpool head coach Arne Slot told him he would be to blame if the Reds did not win the league.

Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff were both shown red cards having confronted Oliver on the pitch after James Tarkowski scored an equaliser for Everton in the eighth minute of added time.

The 2-2 draw last month, which also saw Curtis Jones and Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure sent off for scuffling after the final whistle, meant Liverpool missed the chance to move nine points clear at the top of the table.

However, their lead is now 13 points and a second Premier League title in five years looks like it is heading for Anfield.

Slot and Hulshoff were both given two-match touchline suspensions and fined for their behaviour by an independent regulatory commission.

In its written reasons, the commission said their cases were viewed as “non-standard” because the Football Association considered the misconduct to be of a serious and/or unusual nature.

The commission received a copy of Oliver’s match report in which he alleged a “confrontational and aggressive” Slot had told him he had “f***ing give them everything” and hoped he “was proud of that performance”.

Oliver then claimed Slot returned to add “if we don’t win the league, I’ll f***ing blame you” before telling an assistant referee it was “a f***ing disgrace”.

Oliver said Hulshoff alleged he said he was “f***ing s**t” and “gave them everything” and he was a “f***ing disgrace”.

Slot admitted the charges but insisted he said “if we don’t win the league, I will have you to thank for that”.

However, the FA maintained Slot’s language and words were as reported by Oliver and that the discrepancy did not make a material difference to the sanction.

Slot acknowledged his actions were unacceptable and allowed frustration to get the better of him as he believed certain key decisions did not go Liverpool’s way and it was noted he made sincere apologies both in private and public.

The Liverpool boss stressed his language was not directed as personal abuse but asked for any touchline ban to be staggered to ensure both he and Hulshoff were not absent from the touchline at the same time, but the commission did not consider that a compelling enough argument.

“Arne Slot, as the manager of LFC, is a role model and should be exercising good discipline both on and off the pitch, and setting an example to his players”, while his actions “did not provide the positive image of the game that the governing bodies strive for”, said the commission.

It did, however, state were it not for the mitigating circumstances of both men’s previous good records a three-match ban would have been imposed, which would have meant the pair missing this month’s Carabao Cup final against Newcastle.

The commission was told Hulshoff accepted he allowed his frustrations to get the better of him, but he insisted “the foul language used was not directed at Mr Oliver personally, contrary to what is contained in his official report”.

Decisions made by the commission are subject to appeal.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 tie against Paris St Germain Slot said he wanted to draw a line under the matter and not add to the headlines surrounding Oliver, who came under scrutiny again after not sending off Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts for a head-high challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta – a decision which VAR had to correct – in the FA Cup on Saturday.

“I chose to go on the pitch instead of staying calm staying inside and then talking to Michael,” said Slot.

“Now I don’t have the same emotions anymore so I think I should set a better example than I set back then and don’t go into the situation again.

“It’s clear what I’ve written and what Michael has written. Michael has been in the news quite a lot recently and I don’t think it helps if I add something to that now I have my emotions under control.”