ZeeboiA furious Arne Slot reportedly feared Everton’s stoppage-time equaliser could have cost Liverpool the title.
The Liverpool manager, who was shown a red card for his involvement in the chaotic scenes that followed the 2-2 draw, launched a scathing attack on referee Michael Oliver. According to the match report, Slot told him: “If we don’t win the league, I’ll f***ing blame you.”
Slot claimed he did not swear at Oliver but did not deny an allegation that he called the officiating a “f***ing disgrace” to an assistant referee during the heated aftermath.
Details of Slot’s outburst were revealed in the Football Association’s report on the dramatic conclusion to the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
James Tarkowski’s stunning late volley earned Everton a deserved point, sparking wild celebrations among the home fans. The jubilation continued when Oliver blew the final whistle moments later, but the joy quickly turned into a mass brawl on the pitch.
The FA report placed the blame for the incident on Abdoulaye Doucoure, who ran towards the away end to celebrate. Liverpool argued that this act provoked the ensuing trouble, while Everton acknowledged that the midfielder had acted in “an ill-advised manner.”
The FA commission that ruled on the incident stated: “Instead of celebrating with his teammates or indeed his own supporters, [Doucoure] chooses to run 20-25 yards and goad the LFC support. We consider that that was inflammatory in itself and but for that action, the mass confrontation may have been avoided.”
The commission also criticised Liverpool’s Curtis Jones, who responded by rushing over to confront Doucoure. It ruled that Jones’ actions “were aggressive and disproportionate” and concluded: “Had he not reacted in the manner he did and/or let the referee deal with any Abdoulaye Doucoure-related misconduct, again the mass confrontation may not have occurred.”
The report continued: “It is this action that causes the confrontation to spiral with more and more players running into the melee, with involvement then from police officers and stewards. In one frame, we see a female police officer attempting to push (with force) one player away from the melee (with another female police officer coming in to assist her).
“We don’t consider that the mass confrontation quickly dissipates either. Indeed, the aftereffects appear to continue towards and down the tunnel with numerous angry words being exchanged.”
Both Doucoure and Jones received second yellow cards for their roles in the incident. Several Everton players rushed to Doucoure’s defence, escalating the situation further, while Slot and his assistant, Sipke Hulshoff, confronted the match officials.
Hulshoff was reported to have approached Oliver in an “extremely aggressive manner,” accusing him of being “fing s**t,” claiming he “gave them everything,” and calling him a “fing disgrace.”
Hulshoff told the commission: “The foul language used was not directed at Mr Oliver personally, contrary to what is contained in his official report. I would like to clarify what I said to Mr Oliver was that the resulting melee between both sets of players was because of the ‘s**t decisions’ during the match. I wish to make this point clear to Mr Oliver—I would not want him to think I insulted him personally.”
Both clubs accepted an FA charge of failing to ensure their “players and/or technical area occupants did not behave in a way which was improper and/or provocative.” Everton, who confirmed that Doucoure faced internal disciplinary proceedings, were fined £65,000, while Liverpool were fined £50,000.
Slot admitted to 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. He was fined £70,000 and handed a two-match touchline ban.
Zeeboi
