Arne Slot and Cody Gakpo on UCL qualification and PSV
28/01/2025
uefa24
28/01/2025
uefa24
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00:00We could start with English questions and then to Dutch, just a couple of questions
00:18each if that's okay, and hands up if you'd like to ask, if you'd like to go first.
00:29Hi Arne, are you happy to be back here in Holland?
00:34Yeah of course, I'm happy in England, I'm happy in Liverpool with the team, with the
00:41training ground and everything that comes with that, but I've had a great time here
00:46in Holland, football wise but definitely in my private life as well, so it's always nice
00:53to be back, not that the club I'm supporting, but nice to be back and speak a bit of Dutch
01:02once in a while as well.
01:05And you've obviously left quite a lot of the senior players at home, if you could just
01:09explain the reasoning behind that and how excited are you to give some younger or fringe
01:13players a chance to prove themselves tomorrow?
01:16Yeah, they don't need to prove themselves, we know what the quality is for the players
01:20that we're going to play tomorrow, but I think we are playing like all the teams in
01:27Europe, many, many, many games and these players are ready, so all the ones that are left behind
01:33could have played tomorrow, but for the long term, so it doesn't tell you anything about
01:37the short term, so it doesn't tell us anything about the Saturday game, but for the long
01:41term, if you look back at our season it's been almost every time after three or four
01:45or five weeks, we gave them the break during the week, when it was a League Cup or an FA
01:51Cup, if there was a moment for them to get some freshness back, we've always done that.
01:56And it took me a while to understand this new format, but I always say when I think
02:04I'm 100% sure I use 99.9, but now I can say I'm 100% sure that it doesn't matter at all
02:09if we end up 1 or 2, because we will play 14, 15, 16 or 17 and then in the end it's
02:15a draw which of the teams we are going to face.
02:18So this is a game for us, because we are now number 1 or 2, we cannot drop to number 3.
02:26That has no importance of results coming to the league table, but a very wise man once
02:31said to me, I've never seen anything good coming from losing a football game, so we
02:35are not going into the game tomorrow trying to lose the game, we will do everything we
02:40can trying to win it of course.
02:45The second thing is, because that was part of the story, that because we mainly start
02:51with 13, 14 players that have shared most of the playing time, the ones that haven't
02:57played a lot, it's very useful for them to have 90 minutes, because if we do get into
03:01injury problems, these players will have a bit of game rhythm as well.
03:05So it's a choice that we've made for the long term, it doesn't tell you anything about
03:09the results in the short term, but definitely it helps us for the long term.
03:20In English, Arne, what do you think of the season of PSV and how they played this season
03:25compared to last season when you were in Holland and playing against them?
03:29Yeah, of course last season I saw a bit more than this season, and last season they were
03:34incredible.
03:36This season I haven't seen that much, I think they've dropped a few points more than last
03:41season, but not that big of a difference.
03:45So they are still a team, if they give it their all, if they give it their best, then
03:53there will be two or three balls in the nearest division.
03:55So I go to Dutch now, is that okay with you?
03:57Go to Dutch, yeah.
03:58Then they will score two or three goals in a row, so I think they still have a lot of
04:03quality.
04:04And they still have a very good season this year, because they are still in it every day.
04:08And the football philosophy of Peter Bosz, is that something a little similar to your
04:13philosophy?
04:14Do you like it?
04:15I don't know if we are exactly similar, but there are similarities of course, and similarities
04:21between many, many, many, many coaches.
04:24What is definitely a similarity, he wants to have the ball a lot, he doesn't go to a
04:27low block waiting for the other team to make a mistake, he doesn't let his goalkeeper
04:31put the ball on the six yard line and kick it as far as he can, he wants to bring the
04:35ball out from the back.
04:36So I think for the PSV fans, and I've noticed this when I was here last season, but they
04:43are really, really, really happy that Peter is here, because he doesn't only bring results,
04:50every game he's involved in, I think it's a joy to watch, it's always positive, it's
04:54always eventful, a lot of things happen.
04:58So I think the fans here in Eindhoven are, not only because he won the league, very happy,
05:04mainly also because of his playing style.
05:06I know we are mainly judged about results, but I would hope that there comes a time that
05:12managers are also judged on their playing style, which is difficult because almost everyone
05:18judges us.
05:19If we win, we play well, if we lose, we don't play well.
05:28Where am I from?
05:31In Dutch or in English?
05:32You can do Dutch.
05:33In Dutch.
05:34You can do Dutch.
05:35I have one question.
05:36You don't speak Dutch anymore, so you can go on with Liverpool.
05:40There was also a wise man who said, you have to ask him, in your career, it's going
05:46fast, also this season, you perform well, you play well, does it give you extra confidence
05:52or does it make it a bit scary that there hasn't been a period in which results and
05:58play were a lot less?
06:03Whether I find that scary that it hasn't happened yet?
06:05Or does it give you extra confidence that it will stay that way?
06:10Well, maybe you don't really miss both.
06:12I think you can never think in football, it's been half a year, a year and a half,
06:17no matter how long it's been going well, so then you're convinced that it will go well.
06:21Just because you know, if you're involved in it, and I've said that in my time at
06:27Feyenoord, it's so incredibly difficult to become a champion, where other people
06:32from a distance think, well, that was also a simple championship.
06:35But you have to do so many things right.
06:38And one of my statements is that I always said in my Feyenoord time, at least internally,
06:44that I had the feeling that I had to throw ten times on a day six.
06:47And then I aimed at every decision, at every conversation, at everything we were going to do,
06:51to remain successful or to be.
06:55So it doesn't give any guarantees, so no confidence because it went well in the past,
06:59that it will continue to go well.
07:01I wouldn't say fear either, because if you're in this world, in this job,
07:06it's tomorrow PSV, it's Saturday Bournemouth, it's Thursday Tottenham.
07:11Well, I don't even know them anymore after that.
07:13I think it's a cup game for the FA Cup, Plymouth.
07:16And then it's through the week's Everton again.
07:18So you're just mainly busy.
07:20At the moment I'm busy with PSV and Bournemouth.
07:22And that's an exception, because normally I would only be busy with PSV.
07:25But I'm already looking at Bournemouth.
07:46If it's possible, we always prefer to have them off three days before the game.
07:50That's not always possible if you play so many games.
07:53But they will train on Thursday, so there will go a few staff members back home earlier,
07:58Thursday morning, to train with the ones that stay behind on Thursday.
08:03But they're off tomorrow.
08:07Arne, then we'll go back to Dutch.
08:11Now that you're back in the Netherlands,
08:13you've received a lot of messages from people who are here.
08:17But I was wondering if you invited the biggest critics of yourself to the stadium tomorrow.
08:22Your father, will he be there?
08:26Well, I don't get messages from the people who are here.
08:28I know that it's only good in the football league, but that's not the case for me.
08:34But I get a lot of messages from the Netherlands.
08:36Not just today, but also in recent months.
08:39My father is not there.
08:42Because he often says that he can see it better from the bench.
08:45Because he has the replays, he can watch it again.
08:49And because he comes from Bergen.
08:52So I think two and a half hours of driving to Eindhoven.
08:55And if I don't miss one thing about the Netherlands,
08:58it's that incredible traffic jam that's always here.
09:02So I'm afraid he won't do two and a half hours, but much longer.
09:05So he'll watch it with my mother.
09:08I think for the first time, without too much nerves, tomorrow from the bench.
09:12Great, thank you.
09:18Arne, also in Dutch.
09:20Apart from the fact that you have done so well so far in the Champions League,
09:23how do you look at the new attitude of the tournament?
09:28Yes, I have often said that you can judge that very well only at the end of the season.
09:32So if I look at who is there now, 14, 15, 16 and 17,
09:37then I hope that there will be changes.
09:40Because if I'm not mistaken, it's Juve, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Celtic.
09:46So yes, then you have played seven times with your best team,
09:49you have become first.
09:50Then you think, well, that will yield something.
09:52But hey, we'll have to see if that's the case.
09:54In other years, the first 16 went through.
09:57There were also 32 teams in the Champions League.
09:59The first 16 went through.
10:00And then the other eight went to the Europa League.
10:02I have also benefited from that with Feyenoord.
10:05Well, now they all stay in the Champions League and play an intermediate round.
10:08So yes, if you ask me as a manager of Feyenoord,
10:11or of a club that may not be so easy to get first or second in the pool historically,
10:17then this is a huge progress.
10:20So I don't know if I'm going to do my best again next year,
10:24seven games in a row.
10:26Because if you're 15 or 16,
10:28then they ask me if that's such a disadvantage compared to getting first or second.
10:32And actually, well, if I say that almost everyone goes through,
10:36then I exaggerate it a bit.
10:38But I don't think the bottom eight will go through.
10:40Or are there more?
10:41Twelve, twelve will go through.
10:43So yes, please.
10:53Arne, you have not yet been declared holy.
10:55How do you get up in the morning?
10:57And how do you look in the mirror in the evening after brushing your teeth?
11:00How is it to be Arne Slott?
11:02Well, if you look in the mirror, it's not always pleasant.
11:06It's actually a bit of a self-sport application.
11:09I wish I had a little more hair.
11:12I don't think we're doing much with how it's going.
11:17In my time at Feyenoord, it was going pretty well.
11:20People were pretty positive about me.
11:22But, well, Maarten just asked something about it.
11:24It does put pressure on the next, and the next, and the next, and the next.
11:28Because people expect you to be on top with Feyenoord and do well with Liverpool.
11:33So you're not busy all day with what people write about you.
11:37You're more very busy with what you can do yourself to keep winning matches.
11:42And that's what the players have to work incredibly hard for.
11:46But me and my staff too.
11:48Because you want to prepare them in the best possible way.
11:51Both now, tomorrow evening, and on Saturday against Bournemouth.
11:55And there's often little time in between.
11:57So that's one reason why I don't look in the mirror as much as I did with you.
12:01But the other reason is that I'm also working a lot.
12:03Of course, big respect.
12:05I honestly say that.
12:07That you make the choice to leave the players at home.
12:10But didn't you consider playing here with your top team?
12:14Like, here I am, this is my team.
12:16Show yourself to the Dutch public.
12:20No, I'm not doing that anymore.
12:22To show myself to the Dutch public.
12:24First of all, I'm here for the club.
12:26Then for the team.
12:27Then for the individual.
12:28And I have to make decisions that are in the interest of the club and the team.
12:32For the short and long term.
12:34So I still think that tomorrow we'll be on the field with a very good team.
12:38It would be crazy if that team was just as good as the one I play every week.
12:42Because otherwise I would make the wrong choices.
12:46But tomorrow we still have a team that,
12:49which, if they played in a league cup,
12:52was also able to win against Southampton.
12:54And I thought Brighton, which we also had in a league cup,
12:57it didn't go easy, by the way.
12:59But it worked out.
13:01And yes, as you will see later,
13:03because he comes after me, Cody Kakpo has decided to take part.
13:09So yes, you also have to take into account a certain sentiment.
13:12But for example, he didn't participate against Lille last week.
13:15So yes, I think it's done for someone who is very sharp to catch that.
13:23Arne, you are sometimes more often in the Netherlands, of course.
13:26But I can also imagine that if you are there now,
13:28you still have a moment of relaxation.
13:30Like, well, here I am again.
13:32Is there also, when you started seven months ago,
13:34could you have thought that you would be here now,
13:37with the results and the game and what you have achieved so far?
13:40No, I've said that a lot.
13:42Because I get that question a lot.
13:44Seven months ago you are not busy with where you are in seven months.
13:47Seven months ago you are busy with,
13:49okay, how can I get my ideas about football in the team as soon as possible?
13:52Well, I have also said very often
13:54that one of the reasons why they came to me
13:56is because, based on data and human intelligence,
13:59there were so many similarities, according to them at least,
14:02between Jurgen Klopp's style of play and mine.
14:06So that's your first focus.
14:08And the moment the draw becomes clear,
14:11I have to be honest, I thought then,
14:13I hope not, that in the last game it really goes somewhere.
14:16Because I, more than those English journalists behind you,
14:21know how difficult PSV is,
14:23especially on a European night,
14:25or when Feyenoord comes by.
14:27Because then this stadium is boiling
14:29and that also brings the best of the players to the top.
14:32So from that perspective,
14:34I am very happy that we are where we are now.
14:36And that, as I just said,
14:38because of this fantastic format,
14:40it doesn't matter anymore whether we win tomorrow or not.
14:43In terms of the difference between the Netherlands and England,
14:46we can all think that there are better players,
14:48that the intensity is higher.
14:50What is a difference that we may not think of,
14:52but that you have noticed in your time?
14:54Well, you have to see it a bit relatively.
14:56Because, yes, I also think that,
14:58in general, there are more good footballers in the Netherlands
15:02than in the Netherlands,
15:03simply because there is much more money to be spent.
15:06But I think it was three quarters of a year ago
15:08that Mats Wiever and Jeddy Schouten
15:10and Ryan Gravenbergen reacted to the Dutch national team.
15:13So you can't say that the players of Feyenoord or PSV
15:16are so many times less than the ones we have.
15:18Not even at all.
15:20Only, I have often tried to explain
15:22what the difference is between the Premier League and the Eredivisie,
15:25that in the Dutch straight row,
15:27in the Netherlands they say bottom of the table,
15:30but in the straight row,
15:32I don't think there is one,
15:34if you look very carefully,
15:36who can play at Ajax, PSV or Feyenoord.
15:39And if you look in England,
15:41I think every team has two or three players
15:43who have either been able to play
15:45or have made an effort for an amount
15:47that we or other clubs in the top can attract players for.
15:50So winning a game,
15:52or even winning the Premier League,
15:54is an even bigger challenge.
15:56Also because, if you assume that they are the best players,
15:59you can also assume that the managers
16:01are also quite good in general.
16:03They are very good themselves.
16:06So that makes every game
16:08an enormous challenge.
16:10And that makes it even harder,
16:12because at Feyenoord we had a program
16:14of playing every three days.
16:16I think if we played two or three more games
16:18than Feyenoord,
16:20that you would have it.
16:22I don't know for sure,
16:24but I guess so.
16:26Only to play against the top of,
16:28who did we play last season?
16:30Ipswich.
16:32That's at least not the best example.
16:34For him, it's a bit harder
16:36to play against the top of KC.
16:38So for Virgil,
16:40it's not just the same distance,
16:42but the intensity of the duels
16:44is a lot harder.
16:49Robbie is going to play there.
16:51Arne, first of all,
16:53welcome back to the Netherlands.
16:55Do you still follow Feyenoord?
16:57And to what extent?
16:59And what do you think of their current season?
17:01Especially in the Champions League?
17:03Yes, I still follow them.
17:05Of course I still follow the Eredivisie,
17:07but less extreme than before.
17:13So yes, I still follow them.
17:15Your second question was?
17:17Yes, so not so extreme.
17:19I have of course seen the games
17:21against Bayern Munich,
17:23which we didn't play ourselves.
17:25But we sometimes play at the same time.
17:27So I haven't seen too many of their games.
17:29And yes, what do I think of how it's going?
17:31It's going great in the Champions League.
17:33And I think,
17:35that's an assumption,
17:37that they would like to see
17:39that it would go a little better in the competition.
17:41But anyway,
17:43yes, that's the reality of the moment.
17:49Arne, welcome back to the Netherlands.
17:51You just said,
17:53my father is not in the stadium tomorrow.
17:55Did you get a request from many other acquaintances
17:57whether you could arrange a ticket?
17:59That's not a big deal.
18:01My family is there.
18:03And my brother with his wife too.
18:07But yes,
18:09I don't know if that's always the case.
18:11But if we want a ticket with Liverpool,
18:13they often have to go abroad.
18:15So I don't know if that's very common
18:17with Feyenoord as well.
18:19But yes,
18:21those are the only requests I've had.
18:23And after the weekend,
18:25D's and G's were also a bit interested,
18:27because they asked me what the line-up was.
18:31And what I was thinking about.
18:33At that time the animosity was a bit less.
18:35From my family.
18:37But I think that the Liverpool supporters
18:39are still looking forward to this match.
18:41Because it's a nice poster
18:43and we still have very good players on the pitch.
19:19OK, guys, we've got Cody Gakpo.
19:21We'll take questions in English.
19:23Just let us know if you're going to ask in Dutch
19:25and we'll do a translation.
19:29In Dutch, yes.
19:31Cody, how is it to be back?
19:33This one was circled in your agenda, I think.
19:35Yes, of course.
19:37A nice moment, I think.
19:39A special match for me.
19:41But yes, I'm looking forward
19:43to being back on the pitch tomorrow.
19:45Did you tell the coach,
19:47I'm going with you?
19:49No, I think the coach also insisted
19:51that I would like to be part of this match.
19:53And now I'm here.
19:55What kind of young players
19:57left a little more than two years ago?
19:59And what kind of young players
20:01are we seeing here now?
20:03I think I've become more mature.
20:05I've become older.
20:07So a little more experience,
20:09more matches in the legs.
20:11I think that's the biggest difference.
20:13All friends and family present?
20:15Yes, I think so.
20:17Have fun.
20:23Look.
20:25Cody, do you have any idea
20:27what kind of reception
20:29you hope to get here tomorrow?
20:31I haven't heard anything yet,
20:33but I hope
20:35that I will get
20:37a positive reception.
20:39I think I've always
20:41had a good relationship
20:43with the club,
20:45with the supporters.
20:47And I'm looking forward to seeing them again tomorrow.
20:49What if you score?
20:51Do you have any idea
20:53how you're going to cheer?
20:55No, I don't think I'll cheer.
20:57I think I owe a lot
20:59to this club in my career.
21:01So I don't think
21:03I'll really cheer.
21:05There have been several stories
21:07about you this week.
21:09We spoke to one of your first coaches,
21:11Bastian Riemersma.
21:13You got a greeting from him.
21:15He was very proud of you,
21:17that at the age of seven
21:19What kind of boy
21:21did you become here at PSV?
21:25That's a good question.
21:27I think
21:29that I was
21:31a passionate boy
21:33and still am.
21:35I'm always looking to develop
21:37myself and my environment.
21:39And I owe that
21:41to PSV.
21:45Kody,
21:47I also read
21:49that you were in the
21:51Players United
21:53Tribune.
21:55You said
21:57last season
21:59that we couldn't
22:01win the last ten games.
22:03And now I have the feeling
22:05that our group
22:07is wider.
22:09Do you feel that yourself?
22:11Is the competition bigger
22:13than last season?
22:15I think that last season
22:17we had a period
22:19in which we had a lot of injuries.
22:21So the selection
22:23automatically becomes thinner.
22:25And that didn't help either.
22:27And then you also have players
22:29who come back,
22:31but without a match rhythm.
22:33But we were in a very important phase.
22:35So yes,
22:37it all went wrong.
22:39And I think that at this moment
22:41every position
22:43is about double occupied
22:45with a lot of quality.
22:47And that makes us strong
22:49at the moment.
22:51And one more question.
22:53I was watching the game on Saturday
22:55and you were substituted.
22:57And immediately the coach said something
22:59about this game against you.
23:01What was it?
23:03At the sideline.
23:05Oh, when I was substituted?
23:07No, I think the coach said
23:09that I was substituted
23:11because of this game.
23:13So that I can hopefully play again.
23:15As a captain?
23:17No, I don't think so.
23:19We have some other players
23:21who are there
23:23and who have the right
23:25to say so.
23:40How odd would that be for you?
23:42Yeah, pretty strange.
23:44I think I've never been
23:46in the away dressing room,
23:48so it will be my first time.
23:50And also on the other side
23:52of the walkout.
23:54So yeah, different than I was used to.
23:58But when the game will start
24:00I think all those things will fade away
24:02and we all will be focused on the game.
24:04And with the team we have,
24:06we are here and we are going for the win.
24:09Hopefully it will be a good game.
24:11Just on the slot,
24:13you always seem to play on that left wing role,
24:15whereas last season
24:17you used to have to play a bit as number 9.
24:19Are you much happier there?
24:21And you seem to be playing some of your best football there.
24:23Yeah, I think
24:25before I played as a central striker,
24:27I played as a left winger.
24:29I always have been a left winger
24:31and now I'm back
24:33where I play at my best, I think.
24:35So, happy.
24:39Cody,
24:41what type of reception are you expecting
24:43tomorrow from the home fans?
24:45Sorry, I've been asked this already in Dutch.
24:47And also, with the slot rest
24:49and a lot of the regular players,
24:51were you given that opportunity
24:53or did you say that you wanted to come here and play?
24:57So, your first question.
24:59Yeah, hopefully a good reception
25:01from the fans.
25:03I think I always had a good connection with them.
25:05So yeah, I'm looking forward
25:07to see them again tomorrow.
25:09And on your second question,
25:11yeah,
25:13I got the question
25:15from the manager as well,
25:17but I didn't play
25:19one minute against Lille last week.
25:21So, also
25:23from the manager's
25:25point of view,
25:27that I probably would like to come over here
25:29and get some minutes here.
25:31So, yeah,
25:33that's why I'm here, actually.
25:35Any more? Chris?
25:38Sorry if this is being asked in Dutch,
25:40but what do you think
25:42the biggest difference is
25:44this season to last, in terms of
25:46you were in a very similar position,
25:48going for four trophies.
25:50I think you mentioned you played as a tribune
25:52until the last ten games.
25:54What do you think the biggest lesson you've learned
25:56that can help the team this season,
25:58so it's different?
26:00I think the biggest difference at this point,
26:02I think last season we had a lot of injuries,
26:04as I just said as well, in Dutch.
26:06And, obviously,
26:08I think Mo was also away
26:10for the Africa Cup, so that didn't help as well.
26:12He injured himself
26:14over there, I think, even.
26:16And then we had, I think, Darwin was out
26:18with his hamstring.
26:20Dominic was out.
26:22Curtis was out.
26:24Trent was out.
26:26Trent was out as well.
26:28So, Jota was out as well.
26:30So, Ali was out.
26:32Ali was out as well.
26:34So, we had some problems
26:36last year, which didn't help.
26:38This year,
26:42at this point, almost everybody's fit.
26:44So, we are hoping that we can keep it
26:46this way, and we can keep going.
26:48Do you think that the belief
26:50is much even more
26:52now as well, because you've had that extra
26:54year as a team together as well?
26:56Yeah, obviously,
26:58a year has gone by, and then as a team,
27:00as a group, you get more experience,
27:02you get more togetherness as well.
27:04So, yeah, I think
27:06we were growing last year, and we are growing
27:08this year as well. So, hopefully
27:10we can bring
27:12it to a good end.
27:16Kody, what is
27:18the biggest difference, or the biggest addition
27:20that Arnold Slot has given
27:22Liverpool when you work with him?
27:24What do you think are the extra plus points
27:26that he has brought in?
27:28I think that we
27:30have more possession of the ball.
27:32We approach the game a bit differently.
27:34I think that we
27:36play more with possession of the ball.
27:38That we
27:40want to keep possession of the ball
27:42during the game, to
27:44create big chances,
27:46to destroy the opponent.
27:48And I think that
27:50helps us to
27:52have that energy
27:54in the game, when we lose the ball,
27:56to sit on top and win the ball back.
27:58And then it starts
28:00all over again.
28:02I think that, tactically,
28:04the biggest
28:06plus point is
28:08how the games are approached now.
28:10It's all good for us.
28:14How do you look at PSV?
28:16Do you have time for that?
28:18What do you think of their season?
28:20I follow them.
28:22I try to watch the games.
28:24I think they're first,
28:26four points apart.
28:28I think that's
28:30going well.
28:32I think they lost
28:34their last game
28:36in the competition, if I'm correct.
28:38I also saw a strange cup game
28:40in between, but
28:42they won, so that's important.
28:44I think in the end,
28:46if they keep going like this,
28:48they'll keep doing well
28:50and they deserve that.