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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Alex Young

Liverpool: UEFA 'make punishment decision' for cancelled Champions League press conference

Delayed: Arne Slot - (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Liverpool are set to avoid punishment from UEFA for missing their pre-match press conference on Tuesday ahead of tonight's Champions League clash at Eintracht Frankfurt.

All clubs competing in UEFA competitions are required "to fulfil their media obligations the day before the match", but Liverpool were forced to cancel Arne Slot's media briefing due to travel trouble.

A mechanical issue with the club's plane forced a delayed departure from Liverpool John Lennon Airport on Tuesday evening. Liverpool were forced to call off the scheduled press conference at the Deutsche Bank Park just 40 minutes before the scheduled start time as the squad were still stranded in Merseyside.

The issues were finally resolved to allow the plane to take off around 7.50pm BST, well over an hour after Slot were due to address reporters in Frankfurt, prompting fears that the club could land in hot water with European football's governing body.

The clubs must arrange for their teams to arrive on-site by the evening before the match concerned at the latest, and in time to fulfil their media obligations the day before the match

UEFA regulations

UEFA regulation states: "The clubs must arrange for their teams to arrive on-site by the evening before the match concerned at the latest, and in time to fulfil their media obligations the day before the match."

It remains to be seen if UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body decide to act on the tardiness, but Liverpool Echo report that disciplinary action is considered unlikely.

Slot spoke to UEFA's official website while still in Liverpool, and insisted the travel delays "will not impact the build-up" to the game.

He said: "We have trained over here at the AXA. Normally we would have gone to Frankfurt a few hours earlier, now we are a few hours later. That can never be an excuse for the game tomorrow."

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