"That's not me as a person" - When Liverpool star admitted regret over clash with Lionel Messi
Liverpool's Andrew Robertson once revealed that he regrets his behavior towards Lionel Messi in a UCL semi-final second-leg game between the Reds and Barcelona. The Scottish left-back also revealed that his attitude against La Pulga is not a reflection of his personality off the pitch.
Having lost the first leg 3-0 to Barcelona in the semi-final in the 2018-19 Champions League term, Liverpool needed a comeback in the reverse fixture. In the first minute of the returning encounter, Robertson and Fabinho tackled Lionel Messi towards the cliff of the box.
Cuneyt Cakir, who was the referee of the encounter, didn't blow the whistle for a foul on Messi, and play continued. Robertson then went further to quiver Messi's hair and slightly pushed his head.
La Pulga, who was sitting on turf, partially raised his hand in shock, but the referee didn't witness the situation as play had already continued.
Reflecting on the incident in an interview with the Daily Mail in 2020, Robertson said (via GOAL):
"But I do regret it. That’s not me as a person. That’s not my personality. But that night a lot of things happened that you don’t really remember. There was no thought process behind it. We were right up for the game. The fans were roaring and you get caught up in it. You’re a human being."
He continued:
"We were 3-0 down in the semi-final of the Champions League, which we wanted to put right from the season before. It was the loudest changing room I have been in before the game. You could see the focus and the determination in all of us and maybe I went over the line.”
However, two goals each from Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum were enough to secure a 4-0 victory for Liverpool. Thus, the Reds won the semi-final against Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate.
The Merseyside-based club also went further to win the final of the 2018-19 UCL final against Tottenham Hotspur (2-0).
Andrew Robertson reveals details of Arne Slot's first meeting as Liverpool's manager
Earlier this year, Andrew Robertson revealed that Arne Slot was clear about winning trophies from his first meeting with the squad. He also added that Slot seemed to be a manager who might not be happy with a top-four Premier League finish.
In an interview, the left-back revealed (via GOAL):
"I remember his first meeting in America, and he basically said, ‘we finished third last season and the season before, but we now want to finish above the other two. So, in his mind, it was clear that he was coming to win trophies. It wasn’t like he’d be happy with the top four.”
Eventually, Slot guided the Reds as they won the 2024-25 Premier League title in his first managerial season. The Reds won the title with a decent margin, having registered 84 points from 38 games.
