Hugo Ekitike received a red card in Liverpool’s latest FA Cup match against Southampton. Other than the usual ban that comes with a red card, there was no news if the French forward had received any fine. Boss Arne Slot has now addressed the question directly ahead of the Reds upcoming clash against Crystal Palace.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot confirmed that while he spoke with Ekitike, no formal fine was imposed. The Reds’ boss said, “No, [unless] discipline means that I spoke to him. But I don’t think that is discipline, discipline means a fine, and that he didn’t get.”
The red card came after Ekitike, already on a yellow, removed his jersey in celebration after scoring the winning goal for Liverpool against Southampton near the dying moments of the match. Slot called the move “not very smart.” However, Eikitike later apologized profusely.
According to Slot, Ekitike “said sorry straight away to his teammates” and acknowledged his error. Earlier, Slot had reacted sharply to the incident. He labled the red card as “needless and stupid.” He criticised both the original booking – the first yellow cards he saw.
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The referee issued that card when Ekitike angrily punched the ball away. He also criticised the subsequent celebration with caused the second yellow, resulting in the red card. He urged emotional control on the pitch. Slot emphasized that Liverpool does not support “immediate fines or these kind of things” for mistakes that don’t harm the team.
Ekitike came off the bench against Southampton. He struck late to put Liverpool ahead, only to be sent off moments later. After tapping in Federico Chiesa’s pass, he celebrated by stripping off his shirt. He was immediately shown a second yellow given that he had already been booked earlier for dissent.
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Slot initially expressed frustration, saying he understood why emotions run high during big moments. However, he also warned his players that they must avoid actions that cost their team. Andy Robertson, Liverpool’s captain, described the bookings as ‘silly’.
He adding, “I’ll be very surprised if he does it again.” With Ekitike suspended, Slot confirmed other attacking options will be used. Alexander Isak is ready for more minutes and Federico Chiesa’s recent good form offers relief. Slot noted, “He’s [Ekitike] a fantastic human being … players of all ages do make mistakes.”
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