But, swift as Mac Allister's rise was, it was nonetheless a sign of Liverpool's enduring appeal that they could recruit him when in the Europa League. Slot was in the Champions League last season but, while Jurgen Klopp is a Champions League winner and four-time finalist, his predecessor was not.
The Dutchman nevertheless has particular reasons to relish Bologna's visit to Anfield. "I am privileged enough to work at Feyenoord where Champions League nights last season were also really special. People tell me it will be even more special here tomorrow," he said.
Slot hopes that Liverpool's one-year exile will render it a still more memorable occasion. "Our players have missed out on the Champions League for a year so when they step out on the pitch I want to feel like they feel ‘Ah, we missed it for a season,"" he said. "A club of this standard has to be ready and I'm hoping and expecting the same from our fans. I am hoping they feel this desire to show to Europe again. 'They missed us because of this' and that combination should hopefully lead to a very special night for everyone involved at Liverpool."
Denne historien er fra October 02, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 02, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Why fans will shrug at loss of Man Utd's brightest star
A couple of years ago, if the news had broken that Marcus Rashford wished to leave Manchester United and seek his future elsewhere, the effect on the club's fans would have been dramatic.
Will Usyk or Fury 'get old overnight' in their rematch?
In boxing we have an expression we use during a fight, if one of the boxers looks bad: \"He got old overnight.\"
O'Shea is loving the battles at the Republic of Ipswich
As a player who was clocked as the fourth fastest in the Premier League last season, Dara O'Shea relishes it \"when I'm up against a striker and it's me and him\".
Sliding doors moment that saw Spurs embrace chaos
Tottenham fans will wonder what could have been tomorrow as Arne Slot brings league leaders Liverpool to north London
HS2 doesn't need a 'reset'...this line never made sense
Nobody knows how much it will cost or when it will be done. With our creaking transport system, the mounting billions would be better spent elsewhere, says Chris Blackhurst
Hope for economic growth dampened by uncertainty
Fun fact: the OECD still predicts that Britain's economy will be one of the stars of the G7 during 2025 with growth of 1.7 per cent, lagging only behind the US at 2.4 per cent.
Trump's war on the press is straight from Putin playbook
The pen may not be mightier than the sword, but it still has the power to wound. How else to explain the extraordinary remarks of the former Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, this week in which he revealed how stung he'd been by an editorial in The Times?
Musk calls far-right AfD party saviours of Germany
Elon Musk has described the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as the country's saviour, sparking calls from Berlin for the US billionaire to \"stay out\" of their politics.
Macron swears in heated exchanges with crowds in cyclone-battered Mayotte
French president Emmanuel Macron swore during an exchange as he was heckled by angry residents of a Mayotte neighbourhood ravaged by cyclone Chido, telling them: “If it wasn’t for France, you’d be 10,000 times deeper in shit.”
Store guard helped uncover abuse of Pelicot by husband
When Gisèle Pelicot was called to talk to police in November 2020, she believed it was to discuss upskirting allegations made against her husband of 50 years.
