A round-up of the latest Liverpool news as boss Jurgen Klopp has an ‘embarrassing’ admission and the Reds react to Wolves’ effort to scrap VAR in the Premier League.
Arne Slot signs his contract to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool
Feyenoord boss Arne Slot has signed his contract to replace Jurgen Klopp as the manager of Liverpool this summer. That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who reports that the Reds and Slot have finalised all of the necessary paperwork for the Dutchman to take over at Anfield.
Liverpool will now wait for the right moment to confirm the 45-year-old’s appointment with Klopp overseeing his last game on Sunday. The Merseyside natives are also waiting for work permits for some of Slot’s coaching staff. Liverpool will have an entirely new crew next term.
Slot will also take on the role of head coach, rather than manager, at Anfield. Liverpool have sought to restrict his overall responsibilities as they adopt a new structure. Richard Hughes will arrive as their sporting director and Julian Ward is now FSG’s chief executive of football.
Liverpool hope to scupper Wolves’ attempts to scrap VAR
Wolves have urged their rival Premier League squads to agree to scrap VAR from as soon as next season. But The Telegraph reports that Liverpool and Manchester United will strive to scupper any attempts the Molineux side make to can the video assistant referee technology.
Old Gold chairman Jeff Shi believes VAR is threatening to permanently damage the Premier League’s image. But Wolves will likely have to convince rival teams to share their view as at least 14 of the 20 teams must vote in favour in scrapping VAR for the Premier League to act.
Liverpool support the Premier League’s preference to continue using VAR. Erik ten Hag has also stated that Manchester United do not want to remove the systems in place to support the on-field referee. Premier League teams will vote on VAR’s future at the AGM on June 6.
Jurgen Klopp admits it was ‘embarrassing’ he did not know who Brad Smith was
Jurgen Klopp admits that it was ‘embarrassing’ he did not know who Brad Smith was whilst standing next to the left-back when he played for Liverpool. The Houston Dynamo defender graduated from Liverpool’s academy under Brendan Rodgers but failed to make it at Anfield.
Smith made 11 appearances for the Reds’ first-team before departing Merseyside in 2016 to join AFC Bournemouth. Ten of his outings also came with Klopp at the helm, having only got his debut under Rodgers. The Australian made his first outing in December 2013 at Chelsea.
Klopp replaced Rodgers in October 2015 and took his first look at what Smith could offer his Liverpool that December. But when the 30-year-old rocked up to train the day before visiting FC Sion in the Europa League, the coach was too embarrassed to ask who the defender was.
“We played in Sion on a frozen pitch,” Klopp told The Telegraph. “I learned a day before that we had Brad Smith and he stood right next to me in training and it was too embarrassing to ask him who he was.”
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