In an exclusive interview with BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan, Liverpool’s head coach Arne Slot has said that excuses
are “for teams that don’t win the league” and it is “nice” his side won the Premier League so he does not have to rely on them.
Reflecting on leading the club to a 20th top-flight title in his first year since succeeding Jurgen Klopp, the Dutchman told BBC Sport of his pride at the achievement, despite some challenges.
He said: “All these excuses you could give to Liverpool… with us maybe not spending… or not bringing new players in, or taking over from someone…. All these things are excuses for teams that don’t win the league, and it’s nice that if you have all these excuses, that you don’t have to use them, but you still just won it.”
Liverpool secured the title without any serious strengthening of the squad Slot inherited, which he said made it “probably even more special”. And he drew comparisons with his time at Feyenoord, where he won the Eredivisie in 2023 despite an overhaul of his team. “I did it now in two different leagues and in two different ways.”
Recently the Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta lamented how “red cards and injuries” had impacted on his team’s title bid. Last season’s Premier League winners Manchester City cited similar problems with injuries to key players for the club’s failure to present a sustained challenge to Liverpool.
In a wide-ranging interview conducted at the club’s training ground before Liverpool’s final match of the season against Crystal Palace on Sunday, Slot also spoke of his “hope” that Trent Alexander-Arnold gets a “positive” send-off, after he was booed by some fans following confirmation he will leave his boyhood club next month.
Slot also said he would”cherish for the rest of my life” his team’s open bus parade through Liverpool to celebrate winning the title.
He disputed Arteta’s argument that teams had to be in “the right place at the right time” to win the Premier League, suggesting that over a long and arduous season it was clear that the best team won.
He insisted he was “not worried” about the uncertainty that surrounded key players Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk before they signed contract extensions and said it would be “stupid” not to strengthen the squad this summer, although he admitted that the club may not be able to bring in the players they most want.
Jane Hill presents Arne Slot’s exclusive interview with BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan.
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ON BBC iPLAYER:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0lcd7bv/premier-league-arne-slot-reflects-on-title-signings-and-partying-in-ibiza
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