Arne Slot criticizes VAR decision: 'Multiple calls have gone against us'

Liverpool's coach, Arne Slot, expressed his disappointment over the VAR decision to overturn a penalty in their Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain, stating that his team has been on the wrong end of numerous refereeing decisions this season. The Reds were eliminated from the Champions League after a 2-0 loss to PSG at Anfield, resulting in a 4-0 aggregate defeat. Despite a spirited performance, Liverpool's hopes were dashed when Ousmane Dembele scored two late goals. One of the pivotal moments in the game came when Alexis Mac Allister appeared to win a penalty, only for the referee to reverse the decision after a VAR review. Tim Sherwood, watching the game on Soccer Special, believed it was a penalty, saying, 'It's soft, but in my opinion, it is a penalty.' Slot shared his thoughts, saying, 'I'm not surprised, as so many decisions have gone against us this season. It's quite simple: if the referee doesn't give a penalty, the VAR would have never overturned it. I've seen many soft penalties given, but people say VAR can't interfere because there is contact.' Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate also weighed in, stating, 'For me, it was a clear penalty. I was behind the referee. If we got the penalty and scored, it would have been completely different.' PSG had also been denied at least one spot kick in the first leg, with VAR overturning the referee's decision to penalize Konate for a foul on Warren Zaire-Emery and opting not to punish the defender for a push on Nuno Mendes. In the post-match press conference, Sky Sports News' Vinny O'Connor expressed surprise at the overturned penalty decision, given the contact. Slot replied, 'Me too, but not when it comes to us, because this has happened to us multiple times this season.' Slot drew comparisons to Manchester City, saying, 'I think it was Rodri or Bernardo Silva who said they have been very unlucky with referees this season. I heard them say this one month ago. If you can say that, then remember both games you played against us – how many decisions then went against us? So, what does this tell you about us?' Despite winning the Premier League last season under Slot, Liverpool has struggled to build on that success, even with the signings of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. Slot has faced pressure to keep his job due to the team's underperformance, and they still need to secure a top-five finish in the Premier League to play Champions League football next season. Slot acknowledged the challenges, saying, 'Much has been said that the club is in a transition. The club has sold 8-10 players to make money to sign five or so very talented players. We have to sell to buy. We are losing some players on a free transfer, like Mo Salah and Andy Robertson. It is a big challenge in the summer, but the club has shown this model works. As I said many times, the future looks very good, especially if we can sign players after good players leave this summer.'