Liverpool Manager Arne Slot Handed Two-Game Touchline Ban for Everton Red Card

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been handed a two-game touchline ban following his red card during the dramatic 2-2 draw against Everton at Goodison Park on 12 February. Slot was dismissed for approaching referee Michael Oliver on the pitch after the match, in protest over James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute equaliser, which Liverpool believed should have been disallowed for a foul.

As a result, Slot will be absent from the touchline for Liverpool’s upcoming Premier League fixtures against Newcastle on 21 February and Southampton on 8 March. However, he will be allowed to manage from the sidelines during the Champions League last-16 first-leg clash with Paris Saint-Germain on 5 March.

In addition to the ban, an independent Football Association commission fined Slot £70,000. Liverpool assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff, who was also sent off in the same incident, received a two-game suspension and a £7,000 fine. Meanwhile, both clubs were penalized for failing to control their players, with Liverpool fined £65,000 and Everton £50,000.

The heated Merseyside derby saw late chaos erupt when Tarkowski’s goal was awarded after a VAR check, prompting Everton fans to invade the pitch in celebration. Slot confronted one of the assistant referees before shaking hands with Oliver, who then immediately showed him a red card. Post-match, Slot criticized the officiating, particularly regarding the added stoppage time, stating, “Emotions got the better of me.”

Following the final whistle, Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure and Liverpool’s Curtis Jones received second yellow cards, resulting in one-game bans for both.

Slot, who previously served a touchline ban in December for accumulating three yellow cards, will return to domestic duty in the dugout for the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle on 16 March. Liverpool, currently 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League, will face Everton again at Anfield on 2 April.