On Sunday, Liverpool entered their final Premier League fixture of the 2025-2026 season at Anfield needing just a single point to secure a top-five finish. Curtis Jones’ goal, scored just before the hour mark, was ultimately cancelled out by Kevin Schade. This result, however, was sufficient for the Reds to claim fifth place, capping an emotionally charged day marked by the final appearances of Robertson and Salah, whose illustrious Liverpool careers were drawing to a close.

Below, we delve into every statement from Slot’s concluding post-match press conference of the season.

On securing Champions League qualification:

“Once again, we didn’t achieve the result we truly merited, which has been a recurring theme throughout this season. We deserved to win, although, in the 100th minute, we could have even lost it. We’ve witnessed this scenario so many times this season: we create chances for a winning goal, and then, in the 10th minute of added time, the opposition gets a significant opportunity, a header. This time, it didn’t go in, but it has countless times before this season.”

“So, I believe this was another match that mirrored many we’ve played. It felt like they needed 40 minutes to even enter our penalty area for the first time – perhaps a slight exaggeration, but we completely dominated the first half. Yet, from a simple throw-in, they created their first real chance. And yes, set pieces have been another topic we’ve discussed extensively this season.”

On the overall season performance:

“We came here today to accomplish the bare minimum, which was to qualify for the Champions League. As you can observe from the league table, even major clubs sometimes fail to secure a spot in the Champions League or European competitions. In recent seasons, several prominent clubs in this league haven’t managed to qualify for Europe. Therefore, we can never take this for granted, but it’s clear and evident that we aspired for more.”

“However, I am genuinely proud of the players and what they’ve accomplished this season, because it has been an incredibly challenging campaign for us, enduring everything we’ve had to navigate, particularly with all the injuries. I can recall every single obstacle we faced. Yet, if our ultimate achievement is the minimum – Champions League qualification in fifth place – and considering we faced the FA Cup winners after losing an away match to Manchester City, which many teams do, and losing to Paris Saint-Germain for the second consecutive year, with no team managing to beat them across two legs in the last two years. In a single match, Chelsea did so in the Club World Cup, and perhaps Arsenal in a final, but over two legs, no team has achieved it. So, while this isn’t what I would have wanted us to achieve at the start of the season, given everything that transpired, I am content today that we have secured our place in the Champions League.”

On the fans’ reception for Robertson and Salah:

“It was magnificent, as always, and precisely what you expect from our supporters. They absolutely received the tribute they deserved. These are two legends who have lifted nine trophies over the past nine years. So, yes, for them, it must have been a profoundly special day, likely a difficult one too, but certainly a memorable occasion, and the fans made it truly extraordinary for them. I believe I’ve stated many times that this club understands how to celebrate a league title, how to navigate tragedies, and most certainly, how to honour these two exceptional players.”

On potential season-long adjustments:

“Oh yes, many things. I, and we, were not perfect, but I would have answered this question identically in the year we won the league because, as a manager, you can never be perfect, and a player can never be perfect. However, every decision I made throughout the season was based solely on being exceptionally well-prepared. So, none of my decisions were ever made with the thought, ‘Oh, I don’t have time, let’s just make a quick decision like this.’”

“No, I gave them thorough consideration, and as you know, not every decision can be the correct one. It would be foolish of me to sit here and claim that all my decisions were right. But before I made them, I always felt they were the right choices to make. Yet, most of the time, I didn’t even have to make many decisions or choices because this [match] was perhaps the only instance this season where there wasn’t a single Academy player on our bench, and that was an anomaly. So, if you were to ask me for one word to describe this season, it would undoubtedly be ‘injury.’”