What Arne Slot can and cannot do after being hit with touchline ban for Newcastle clash

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been given a two-match ban after his red card in the Battle of Goodison Park.

Slot, who was also fined £70,000 by an independent commission after accepting the FA charge, got his marching orders after confronting referee Michael Oliver at the end of the 2-2 draw with Everton on February 12. His assistant Sipke Hulshoff was banned for two games and fined £7,000, while Liverpool and Everton were fined £65,000 and £50,000 respectively for failing to control their players.

It is worth knowing that both clubs were actually told of the guilty charge and punishments on Tuesday after the hearing but it was only announced publicly on Wednesday. So the clubs were not hit with the bans on the day of a game.

So, with both Slot and Hulshoff banned for tonight’s game with Newcastle and the clash with Southampton on March 8, here’s a guide to what they can and cannot do at the games…

• THEY are banned from the touchline but can communicate with the bench via telephone or a runner sending down instructions.
• THEY cannot be on the touchline at any point - including even for the pre-match warm-up
• THEY can be in the changing room before the game and at half time as they would only be prevented from doing those duties if it was one extended ban for an even more serious offence.
• THEY can do post-match media duties. Slot could not speak to the media under the Premier League rules on the night of his red card at Everton. That was to stop him from speaking at a highly emotional time and making matters worse when football authorities want managers to set the right example.
• THEY can be on the touchline for the Champions League last-16 first-leg tie with Paris St-Germain on 5 March. But will then be banned for the Southampton game three days later. If they had still been in the FA Cup, the touchline ban would have been served then.

The FA statement in full says: “An independent Regulatory Commission has sanctioned Everton, Liverpool, Arne Slot and Sipke Hulshoff in relation to the Premier League fixture between the clubs on Wednesday 12 February.

“It was alleged that both clubs failed to ensure their players and/or technical area occupants did not behave in an improper and/or provocative way following the final whistle. Everton and Liverpool admitted the charges, and the Regulatory Commission imposed £65,000 and £50,000 fines on them respectively following a hearing.

"It was alleged that the Liverpool head coach acted in an improper manner and/or used insulting and/or abusive words and/or behaviour towards both the match referee and an assistant referee after the match had finished. Arne Slot admitted the charge, and the Regulatory Commission imposed a two-match touchline suspension and £70,000 fine.

“It was alleged that the Liverpool assistant head coach acted in an improper manner and/or used insulting and/or abusive words and/or behaviour towards a match official, which led to his dismissal. It was further alleged that he acted in an improper manner and/or used insulting and/or abusive words and/or behaviour towards a match official after being sent off. Sipke Hulshoff admitted the charge, and the Regulatory Commission imposed a two-match touchline suspension and £7,000 fine.

"The Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for these sanctions will be published in due course.”

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