Slot: Liverpool Premier League Win Was One of 'Best Days of my Life'

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Leicester City v Liverpool - King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain - April 20, 2025   Liverpool manager Arne Slot celebrates after the match REUTERS/Phil Noble
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Leicester City v Liverpool - King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain - April 20, 2025 Liverpool manager Arne Slot celebrates after the match REUTERS/Phil Noble
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Slot: Liverpool Premier League Win Was One of 'Best Days of my Life'

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Leicester City v Liverpool - King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain - April 20, 2025   Liverpool manager Arne Slot celebrates after the match REUTERS/Phil Noble
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Leicester City v Liverpool - King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain - April 20, 2025 Liverpool manager Arne Slot celebrates after the match REUTERS/Phil Noble

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said Friday that winning the Premier League title at Anfield was one of the best days of his life as he turned his thoughts towards next season.

The Reds crushed Tottenham 5-1 on Sunday to seal a record-breaking 20th English league title with four games to spare, basking in a sensational atmosphere at their packed home ground.

"Maybe for all the Liverpool fans, but for many of them, one of the best days of their lives, and I think it was the same for me," AFP quoted Slot as saying.

"The way the whole day went, arriving at the stadium, how intense the fans already were, then during the game going 1-0 behind, so it even felt like, 'Oh, they're not going to give it to us, we have to work for it'.

"Scoring the goals, seeing how much it meant to the players but also to the fans, for me, was really special to be part of."

Liverpool travel to face fifth-placed Chelsea on Sunday before taking on Arsenal, Brighton and Crystal Palace in their remaining games.

"It's nice that we play some very strong teams with Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton and Palace, so that gives immediate challenge to those games," said Slot, 46.

"It's the end of the season but we also have to look at this as the start of next season already."

The Dutchman said he was surprised by the 22-point between his side and Enzo Maresca's Chelsea, whom he felt were the better team when they met in October, even though Liverpool won 2-1.

"We found a way to win, and that is a quality that we didn't need a lot, because mostly we were the better team on the pitch," he said.

"But in that game we had to suffer more than any other game, maybe. So to be so many points ahead of them is a big compliment for everyone here at this club."

The former Feyenoord boss said he would rotate in the final games of the season.

"Some of them deserve to play already earlier this season because they've trained so well," he said. "They are good enough to play for this club but I mainly chose the same players.

"And I think this is also a moment to see where they are, also looking towards next season maybe a bit already. But definitely also because they deserve to play this season."

Slot said Liverpool's Premier League triumph would be a boost in terms of recruitment.

"Winning the league, having these fans, I think this is a big attraction to every player we want to bring in, and that's definitely helpful," he said.

Captain Virgil van Dijk and top-scorer Mohamed Salah have recently signed new contracts to stay at the Liverpool but Slot said there was no update on Trent Alexander-Arnold, who continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid in the summer transfer window.



Retired Great Nadal to Play in Exhibition Matches

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal takes part in a training session in Manacor on the Spanish Balearic Island of Mallorca on January 30, 2013. (AFP)
Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal takes part in a training session in Manacor on the Spanish Balearic Island of Mallorca on January 30, 2013. (AFP)
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Retired Great Nadal to Play in Exhibition Matches

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal takes part in a training session in Manacor on the Spanish Balearic Island of Mallorca on January 30, 2013. (AFP)
Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal takes part in a training session in Manacor on the Spanish Balearic Island of Mallorca on January 30, 2013. (AFP)

Retired Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal will return to the court in front of a crowd for the first time since retirement in October to celebrate his academy's 10th anniversary.

The Rafa Nadal Academy confirmed Wednesday the 40-year-old, who won 22 Grand Slams in a glittering career before retiring in November 2024, will participate in some exhibition matches.

Nadal will compete at his academy in his hometown Manacor in Mallorca "in a series of exhibition matches together with big names from the sport", said the academy in a statement.

The other players will be announced in the coming days, and will be "some of his rivals and friends who have accompanied him throughout his career".

A clay court expert, Nadal won the French Open 14 times in a remarkable career which spanned more than 20 years.


Maresca Defends VAR Officials After Man City Benefit from Error

Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Manchester City - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - September 13, 2026 Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca celebrates with Enzo Fernandez after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Manchester City - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - September 13, 2026 Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca celebrates with Enzo Fernandez after the match. (Reuters)
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Maresca Defends VAR Officials After Man City Benefit from Error

Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Manchester City - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - September 13, 2026 Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca celebrates with Enzo Fernandez after the match. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Manchester City - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - September 13, 2026 Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca celebrates with Enzo Fernandez after the match. (Reuters)

Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca on Wednesday expressed sympathy for VAR officials after his team benefited from a clear error in their 1-0 win against Manchester United.

Erling Haaland scored a controversial winner in the 60th minute at Old Trafford on Sunday to make it four wins out of four for City in the Premier League.

Haaland was initially flagged offside, but VAR ruled he was being played onside by United defender Patrick Dorgu, neglecting to take account of the position of Enzo Fernandez, who was clearly offside and was interfering with play.

Refereeing body Pro Ref acknowledged an "error of judgment", saying that the video assistant referee should have recommended an on-field review.

But Maresca spoke up for the officials ahead of Thursday's League Cup third round match against Championship side Norwich.

"Sometimes they go for you, the decisions, sometimes they go against you," he said. "But also it's not easy, I think, for the VAR, for the people that are in front of the screen, and in 10 seconds, 20 seconds they have to make a decision.

"It's not easy for them. Sometimes they make some mistakes. I make mistakes, players make mistakes, I think it's part of our job."

Maresca said he was unhappy with the intense focus on the offside goal following an impressive win for his team, who were reduced to 10 men when Phil Foden was sent off in the first half.

The Italian, who replaced Pep Guardiola as manager in June, reminded reporters of a controversial incident when he was Guardiola's assistant in the 2022/23 season.

Bruno Fernandes's goal was given despite the presence of Marcus Rashford in an offside position in a 2-1 win for United at Old Trafford.

Maresca said he was still waiting for officials to say sorry.

"Three years ago, when I was here, it happened exactly the same against Man United," said the former Chelsea boss.

"We lost the derby there. The goal was not a regular goal, if you remember. To be honest, no one apologized. We are still waiting for the apology for that goal.

"Sometimes it happens for you, sometimes it happens against you. It's football."

Maresca brushed aside a question on whether he was pleased there would be no VAR in place in the early rounds of the League Cup, bringing the focus back to Sunday's win.

"I'm pleased with the unbelievable performance from the players on Sunday," he said. "I'm very pleased with that. Talking about one moment after that game, when we played for 70-75 minutes with 10 players, I think it's quite poor. I think the performance was unbelievable."


Bologna Fires Coach after Just 4 Matches, Hires Raffaele Palladino on Deal to 2029

Bologna's coach Domenico Tedesco during the Italian Serie A soccer match Bologna FC vs US Sassuolo at Renato Dall'Ara stadium in Bologna, Italy, 6 September 2026. EPA/ELISABETTA BARACCHI
Bologna's coach Domenico Tedesco during the Italian Serie A soccer match Bologna FC vs US Sassuolo at Renato Dall'Ara stadium in Bologna, Italy, 6 September 2026. EPA/ELISABETTA BARACCHI
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Bologna Fires Coach after Just 4 Matches, Hires Raffaele Palladino on Deal to 2029

Bologna's coach Domenico Tedesco during the Italian Serie A soccer match Bologna FC vs US Sassuolo at Renato Dall'Ara stadium in Bologna, Italy, 6 September 2026. EPA/ELISABETTA BARACCHI
Bologna's coach Domenico Tedesco during the Italian Serie A soccer match Bologna FC vs US Sassuolo at Renato Dall'Ara stadium in Bologna, Italy, 6 September 2026. EPA/ELISABETTA BARACCHI

Bologna fired coach Domenico Tedesco on Wednesday after just four Serie A matches and replaced him with Raffaele Palladino.

Sunday’s loss at Napoli left Bologna 16th in the league table, with just one point from its opening four matches.

Tedesco had only been in charge since June.

In a brief statement, Bologna thanked Tedesco for his “professionalism and competence” and said Palladino had been given a contract through the end of June 2029, The Associated Press reported.

The 42-year-old Palladino previously led Monza, Fiorentina and Atalanta.

His first match in charge will be on Saturday at home to Torino, before the extra-long international break.

It is not the first coaching change of the fledgling Serie A season as Fabio Grosso was fired this month by Fiorentina, which rehired Paolo Vanoli.