Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed his frustration with the VAR decision to overturn a penalty in their Champions League quarter-final match against Paris Saint-Germain, stating that his team has been on the receiving end of numerous unfavorable decisions this season. The Reds were eliminated from the competition after suffering a 2-0 defeat at Anfield, which resulted in a 4-0 aggregate loss.
Despite a spirited performance, Liverpool's hopes were dashed when Ousmane Dembele scored twice in the late stages of the game. One of the most contentious moments came when Alexis Mac Allister appeared to win a penalty, only for the referee to reverse the decision after a VAR review. Former player Tim Sherwood, who was watching the match, believed it was a penalty, saying, 'It's soft, but in my opinion, it is a penalty.' Slot shared his thoughts, '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 wouldn't have overturned it. I've seen many soft penalties given, but people say VAR can't interfere because there's contact.' Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate also weighed in, saying, '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.' However, 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 responded, 'Me too, but not when it comes to us, because this has happened to us multiple times this season.' He also referenced comments made by Manchester City players, saying, 'I think it was Rodri or Bernardo Silva who said they've been very unlucky with referees this season.
If you can say that, then remember both games you played against us – how many decisions went against us? So, what does this tell you about us?' Liverpool has struggled to build on their Premier League-winning season under Slot last year, despite signing notable players like Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz in the summer.
The team is under pressure to secure a top-five finish in the Premier League to qualify for the Champions League 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're losing some players on a free transfer, like Mo Salah and Andy Robertson. It's 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.'