Liverpool manager Arne Slot could yet escape a touchline ban despite being sent off at the end of a frantic Merseyside derby on Wednesday night. In what was the final time the Reds will visit Goodison Park ahead of Everton’s move to their new stadium next season, the Toffees were able to secure a memorable point thanks to a thumping James Tarkowski volley deep into stoppage time.
As expected, the clash was an emotional affair, with things spilling overcome the full-time whistle as Curtis Jones and Abdoulaye Doucoure were handed red cards for a post-match scuffle, while Slot and assistant Spike Hulshoff were also given the same treatment by Michael Oliver. However, there is still a chance that the Dutch coach will be present when Premier League leaders host Wolves this weekend.
FA Rules State Slot May Escape Touchline Ban
According to a report via the Independent, it is suggested that while Slot could face retrospective action from the FA following his actions at the end of Wednesday’s clash, the rules state that a manager is not automatically suspended for the next game in the same way that players are, meaning that the 46-year-old could still be in the dugout come the Wolves game on Sunday.
The laws of the game say that as immediate punishments for being sent off, managers are not allowed on the touchline for the remainder of the game. As Slot’s sending off occurred after the ninety minutes were already up, this did not apply to him.
However, he was still prohibited from taking part in any post-match interviews as a result of his dismissal, meaning that he has yet to give a detailed account of his side of the story. The first opportunity he may have to do so publicly will likely come during his pre-match press conference for this weekend’s fixture.
It is claimed that it remains likely that Slot will be handed a ‘standard charge,’ which applies to the offence of confrontational behaviour towards a match official – the charge likely being a touchline ban. However, there is a possibility the Liverpool boss gets away with a warning for his actions. The FA has up until three business days of the original incident to issue any potential charges.
