Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confessed he would rather win the Champions League this season than retain the Premier League title.
The Reds were among the favourites to win the Champions League last year after finishing top of the league phase, but their reward for that early-season form was a last-16 meeting with a Paris Saint-Germain side who struggled during the competition’s first phase.
After snatching a 1–0 win in the first leg, Liverpool ultimately fell on penalties in the return fixture and could only watch as PSG went on to lift the trophy one month after Slot’s side were crowned Premier League champions.
This time around, a nervy 3–2 win over Atlético Madrid has kickstarted Liverpool’s latest pursuit of European glory, with Slot admitting getting his hands on the Champions League trophy this year would mean a little more than any domestic title.
“If I can only win one, it’s almost impossible, but I would go for the Champions League this time,” he told TNT Sports.
Slot: ‘No Winter Break Harmed Liverpool’s Champions League Hopes’
Slot was happy to admit PSG were the best team in Europe across last season, but insisted there were factors outside of Liverpool’s control which worked against the Reds, including the relentless nature of the Premier League calendar.
“I don’t want to take anything away from what [PSG] did last season because that was outstanding,” Slot said. “I think what did help them and what doesn’t help a Premier League club is because we don’t have a winter break.
“Maybe it even helped they played two games against Brest [in the play-off], so they had a rest period, and then games to peak afterwards. In March when they played against us, at that moment in time, they hardly conceded a goal, scored three or four goals every game. They were at their peak level.
“In January, that was our best period, but towards March we were struggling a bit in terms of intensity. After the March period, we went up again, but because we lost on penalties we were out [of the Champions League].”
Liverpool are back in Champions League action on Tuesday, making the trip to Galatasaray looking to add a second successive European victory to this season’s tally.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Almost Impossible’—Arne Slot Reveals Trophy He Would Most Like to Win This Season.
