Liverpool Coach: 'Ekitike's actions were completely unnecessary and foolish'

Hugo Ekitike became the focus of criticism after receiving a red card due to an uncontrolled celebration against Southampton, prompting coach Arne Slot to admit it was “foolish and unnecessary.”

In the early hours of September 24 (Vietnam time), Hugo Ekitike was shown two yellow cards in the match against Southampton, with the second coming immediately after he scored. The striker took off his shirt in celebration and was promptly penalized by the referee for that action.

After the match, coach Arne Slot openly stated: “That was an unnecessary act, indeed. And it was foolish, definitely. The first card was already unnecessary and, to some extent, foolish because you have to control your emotions. I understand that playing in the Premier League or any other league in the world as a number 9 is very challenging, as defenders can do almost anything. But if you push lightly, a foul will be called against you immediately.”

He continued: “It’s always best to stay calm, and if you can’t, show your emotions in a way that doesn’t lead to a card. I said when receiving a red card against Everton that it is always foolish because you can express your feelings, but if it causes you to get a yellow or red card, that’s a reckless act.”

“That’s what happened with the first yellow card. As for the goal afterward, I also told him that if it were the Champions League final in the 87th minute, after beating three players and shooting into the top corner, I could understand celebrating ‘all eyes on me.’ But in this case, it was still unnecessary, unwise, you could call it foolish and I call it foolish too.”

Meanwhile, Andy Robertson commented on Ekitike’s red card: “I would be very surprised if he repeats that. Maybe he forgot he already had a yellow card… He’s young and will learn from this. I’m confident he won’t do it again.”

With this red card, Ekitike will be suspended for one match and will miss the upcoming Premier League clash against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Related article

‘Stopping Liverpool now seems impossible’ Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca admitted that competing with Liverpool at the moment is an extremely tough challenge. While Liverpool continues to invest heavily and leads the Premier League, Chelsea is going through a series of disappointing matches and must find ways to balance their squad before important games. See more