"I wouldn’t say favorites" - Arne Slot makes interesting PSG comments after Liverpool crash out of Champions League
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has refused to name Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as the favorites to win the UEFA Champions League this season. He claims that there are better teams in the competition and took a cheeky dig at the Ligue1 side.
While speaking to the media after crashing out of the UEFA Champions League, Slot stated that PSG were one of the richest clubs in the world and they faced them early in the knockout stages. He added that there are several good teams left in the tournament and said (via Metro):
"No, I wouldn’t say favorites. You know how much I like this team and how impressive they were last week and today. It is not easy to play over here in these circumstances when we are so aggressive but they were able to get the win over the line."
"This is a very good team but there are many good teams still in the competition. Normally, you face these teams in the semi-final and the final but unfortunately, we had to face Paris Saint-Germain, one of the richest clubs in the world, already in this round."
Liverpool won 1-0 at PSG last week but the Ligue1 side bounced back with the same scoreline at Anfield. The match went into extra time, but with the scoreline remaining the same, a penalty shootout was needed to determine the winner.
Darwin Nunez and Curtin Jones had their efforts saved and that saw PSG go through after converting all four of their penalties.
Liverpool manager offers praise for PSG
Arne Slot went on to praise PSG and claimed that it was the best match he was involved in as a manager. He stated that the intensity was brilliant from both sides and added that his side deserved to lose over the 180+ minutes played in the tie.
Slot said (via ESPN):
"It was the best game of football I was ever involved in. I don't have the history that Liverpool has as a manager but it was two teams at an incredible level. It was an incredible intensity in the first 25 minutes. I also remember the first 25 against Manchester City at home and the first 25 against Real Madrid but this was unbelievable, what we showed in the first 25."
"But I looked at the scoreboard and we were 1-0 down. Over 90 minutes, I don't think we deserved to lose this game of football. Over 180 minutes, maybe it was deserved that we went to extra time. In extra time, I thought maybe PSG were a bit better than us, and then it comes down to penalties and we lost."
PSG will face either Aston Villa or Club Brugge in the quarter-finals of the tournament. Liverpool are in Carabao Cup action this weekend when they take on Newcastle United in the final.
