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Everton manager David Moyes has said he understands Arne Slot’s reaction to the choatic ending of Wednesday’s Merseyside derby that saw the Liverpool boss sent off.
Slot was dismissed by referee Michael Oliver at Goodison Park during a chaotic scene that saw four red cards handed out following a physical altercation between Curtis Jones, Abdoulaye Doucouré and both sets of players.
Doucouré and Jones were also shown red cards by referee Michael Oliver, as was Liverpool assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff.
The game had ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw thanks to Everton defender James Tarkowski‘s 98th-minute equaliser.
Both Liverpool and Everton condemned the racist abuse received by Doucouré following the game, describing it as “reprehensible” and that it would “not be tolerated.”
When asked about the ending of Wednesday’s clash, Moyes told a news conference: “He [Doucouré] is fine. I was disappointed he got sent off. The club will look at the situation. It was an emotional night and a game where everybody was involved.
“We were playing against a really good Liverpool team, probably the best in Europe, and we had to do as good a job as we could.
“I feel a bit for Arne Slot too because it is the sort of thing I was always getting involved in when I was a younger manager. It tells me that he cares a lot about his club and is fighting for his players.
“I was disappointed in Doucouré because he played so well in the game and did a great job for the team. He wouldn’t have probably done what he did [if he had the chance again]. But it still doesn’t mean that people are allowed to abuse you. If that’s the case, it’s completely wrong.”
Slot said on Friday that he regrets his actions after the game, saying that he would handle the situation differently in future.
“What happened was the extra time additional five times it ended up being eight, the emotions got the better of me,” Slot told a news conference.
“If I could do that differently, I am hoping to do it differently next time as well.”