Slot pulls out of award ceremony after Liverpool parade tragedy
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool manager Arne Slot opted against attending a ceremony in London where he was due to receive an award, saying he withdrew 'out of solidarity' with those affected in the team's city-center parade tragedy.
Slot was named both the Premier League's Manager of the Season and League Managers Association's Manager of the Year after guiding Liverpool to its record-tying 20th league title in his first season at the club.
Hundreds of thousands of fans lined the streets of Liverpool on Monday to celebrate with the players as they paraded the trophy on open-top buses, only for joy to turn to anguish when a man rammed his car into a crowd of people.
Sixty-five people were injured and 11 remained hospitalized Tuesday in stable condition. A 53-year-old British man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police said, and was also being held on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving on drugs.
On turning down the invitation to attend the LMA's award ceremony, Slot wrote in a letter: 'This is not a decision I have taken lightly but it is one that I feel is absolutely right given the seriousness of the situation.'
'Football,' he added, 'is and always should be a game built on rivalry, but it is also a great source of comradeship, especially at times like this.'
Slot also paid tribute to the emergency services, the authorities in Liverpool and 'supporters and bystanders who helped one another in an hour of need.'
'I think everyone involved in the aftermath deserves the gratitude of all of us,' Slot said.
Klopp: The 'two faces of life'
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who watched the parade from close to where the car-ramming occurred, said it destroyed 'one of the greatest days in the history of the city.'
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Klopp, who was inducted into the LMA's Hall of Fame 1,000 Club on Tuesday, said the incident 'showed the two faces of life.'
'The most beautiful face for a long time: the parade was incredible, the mood was incredible,' he said. 'And from one second to another, everything changed and we learned again there are more serious things in the world than football.
'Thoughts and prayers go to the injured people and their families as well. I don't know how and why it happened but we know what happened and that's very bad.'
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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