'Not everybody is listening': Arne Slot clarifies Liverpool Champions League comment after fan backlash | OneFootball

Slot also hits back at claims his Liverpool side were 15 points clear in last season’s title race

Arne Slot has attempted to clarify his comments about Liverpool’s Champions League exit last season.

“As you know, they beat us, and we had every time a week to prepare for our next game. Maybe that has helped us.”

Slot’s comments received a backlash from Liverpool supporters, while Gerrard echoed concerns over the Dutchman’s mentality given the position the team was in prior to losing on penalties to PSG.

“I can understand the fans being frustrated on the back of that interview for the simple reason is they were 15 points clear,” Gerrard said on TNT Sports.

“in my opinion they had the league wrapped up by that point.

“To sort of say that helped them is a body blow for the fans really because the fans have been on the journey, they pay good money to follow the team in the UCL games.

“The frustration and the emotion of going out of the UCL, for a player or a fan, it hurts. It kills you.

“To sort of say that went and helped you when you are already 15 points clear, you can understand the frustrations.”

Liverpool were beaten by PSG on penalties in the Champions League last season

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However, when addressing his comments after Liverpool’s 6-0 thrashing of Qarabag on Wednesday night, Slot insists his words have been misinterpreted, revealing he was not downplaying the league title success.

Slot said: “Maybe I can come back to something I said yesterday.

“I said that it might – might, I used to word might but apparently not everybody is listening properly – have helped us that we lost against Paris Saint-Germain.

“I was not happy losing against Paris Saint-Germain, I wanted to go all the way with that team; that team was strong enough to win the Champions League as well.

“And we were by far the best team in the league, so we completely deserved to win the league.

“But if you are the best team in the league, then you need those players available. This season shows that if we have to play many games, sometimes you can get injuries as well.

“And that’s what I meant: we did not face injuries after we went out against Paris Saint-Germain.

“Some people wanted to make my world even more ridiculous, saying that we were 15 points clear – yes, we were maybe in one moment 15 points clear, but most of the time we were eight points clear.

Some people wanted to make my world even more ridiculous, saying that we were 15 points clear

Arne Slot

“If you then face a situation of three, four, five injuries, it might have been more difficult for us.

“But we were the best team in the league and we could have won the Champions League as well.

“We would have loved to go to the next round last season, but this club, it’s harder if we have injuries than the clubs we are in competition with.

“That was the point I was trying to make but people picked it up in the wrong way, so maybe next time I should be a bit more clear in what I meant.”