arne slot reflects on liverpool’s champions league qualification and emotional farewells

Liverpool entered their final Premier League fixture of the 2025-2026 campaign at Anfield on Sunday, requiring just a single point to guarantee a top-five position.

Curtis Jones’ crucial goal, which was later nullified by Kevin Schade, ultimately cemented their fifth-place finish on a day charged with emotion, marking the final appearances for the illustrious careers of Robertson and Salah at Liverpool.

Slot’s comprehensive post-match press conference for the season is detailed below.

on securing champions league qualification after the match…

“Once more, the outcome didn’t reflect our performance,” Slot remarked, highlighting a recurring pattern throughout the season. “We truly deserved to win this game, though, ironically, we could have even lost it in the 100th minute. It’s a scenario we’ve witnessed far too often this season: creating numerous opportunities to clinch a winning goal, only for the opposition to then carve out a significant chance in injury time – a header, in this instance. This time, it fortunately didn’t find the net, unlike so many other occasions this campaign.”

He continued, “This match felt quite familiar to many others we’ve played. I believe it took them nearly 40 minutes before they even entered our penalty area for the first time – perhaps a slight exaggeration, but we absolutely dominated the first half. Yet, from a simple throw-in, they created their initial opportunity. And yes, set-pieces remain another area we’ve discussed extensively this season.”

reflecting on the season’s journey…

“Our objective today was to secure the bare minimum: qualification for the Champions League,” Slot explained. “As the league table demonstrates, even prominent clubs sometimes fail to reach the Champions League or other European competitions. We can never take this achievement for granted, though it’s undeniable we aspired for more.”

“Nevertheless, I am incredibly proud of the players and what they accomplished this season. It has been an exceptionally challenging campaign for us, enduring numerous obstacles and a significant number of injuries. Considering everything we’ve navigated, achieving this minimum — Champions League qualification in fifth place — and having faced the FA Cup winners after an away defeat to Manchester City, which many teams experience, is commendable.”

He added, “We also lost to Paris Saint-Germain for the second consecutive year; no other team has managed to defeat them over two legs in the last two seasons. While Chelsea beat them in the Club World Cup and perhaps Arsenal in a final, no side has done it across two matches. So, while this isn’t the precise outcome I envisioned for the season at the outset, given all the adversities we encountered, I am content today that we have secured our place in the Champions League.”

on the supporters’ heartfelt farewell to robertson and salah…

“It was magnificent, as it always is, and exactly what you expect from our incredible fanbase,” Slot commented on the atmosphere. “They absolutely received the send-off they deserved. These are two legends who have amassed nine trophies over the past nine years. So, for them, it must have been an immensely special day, likely a difficult one too, but certainly unforgettable, and the fans truly made it extraordinary for them.”

“I believe I’ve stated this many times: this club understands how to celebrate a league title, how to navigate through tragedies, and it most certainly knows how to honor these two exceptional players.”

reflecting on potential season-long adjustments…

“Oh yes, many things,” Slot readily admitted when asked about potential changes. “Neither I nor the team have been perfect, but I would offer the exact same response even in a season where we lifted the championship trophy. As a manager, one can never be flawless, and similarly, a player can never be perfect. However, every decision I made throughout the season was rooted in a single principle: being meticulously prepared.”

“Therefore, none of my decisions were ever made with the thought, ‘Oh, I don’t have time, let’s just make a quick choice.’ No, I always gave them considerable thought. And, as you know, not every decision can turn out to be the correct one. It would be foolish of me to sit here and claim that every single choice I made was the right one. Yet, before I implemented them, I always genuinely believed they were the correct course of action.”

He elaborated, “Most of the time, I didn’t even have the luxury of making many decisions or choices because this particular match might have been the very first time this season that we didn’t have any Academy players on our bench, which truly highlights the exception. So, if you were to ask me for one word to encapsulate this entire season, it would undoubtedly be ‘injury’.”