Amazon Prime has apologized to Arne Slot after falsely claiming the Liverpool boss tried to influence the referee's performance during Wednesday's game at Newcastle.
During Amazon Prime's coverage of the 3-3 Premier League draw, it was implied that Slot had spoken to referee Andy Madley in his dressing room at halftime and raised concerns over his performance. Liverpool had three players booked during the first half.
That claim was put to Newcastle boss Eddie Howe after the game, which ended in controversy when Madley blew his final whistle while the hosts were on the break. "I don’t think I’ll go there," said Howe. "I think that’s a can of worms. I tend to focus on my team."
Yet the truth quickly emerged, as Slot had actually spoken to Madley in the tunnel in a "normal way" while players, officials, and coaches made their way to their respective dressing rooms. Amazon Prime blamed the mistake on a production misunderstanding.
As reported by The Times, Amazon Prime has now contacted Slot and Liverpool to express their regret and apologize for the mistake. It's claimed the apology has been accepted and the matter is now closed in Liverpool's eyes.
Wednesday's game was a thriller. Alexander Isak opened the scoring for Newcastle during the first half before Curtis Jones equalized after the break. Liverpool needed a second equalizer - scored by Mohamed Salah - after Anthony Gordon restored Newcastle's lead.
Then, in the 83rd minute, Salah scored again to give Liverpool a 3-2 lead. Yet a late mistake by goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher allowed Fabian Schar to score a last-minute equalizer for Newcastle, cutting Liverpool's lead at the top of the table down to seven points.
Reacting to the draw, Slot told Amazon Prime: "I have mixed feelings, we were outstanding in the second half but we were not good enough in the first half. Maybe 3-3 is what the game deserved. They were really aggressive and forced us into mistakes but we were so much better in the second half. I knew the game could be changed around, we were much better with the ball.
"After the week we had we could change the game which is a very positive thing to take. Every time we need Mo Salah he scores a goal. We are hoping and expecting he can continue this for a long time. He was outstanding in the second half, he did many special things for us."
Liverpool's next Premier League game is at Goodison Park on Saturday, as the Reds take on Everton in the Merseyside Derby. Slot's players are expected to win that game after a superb start to the season, with the Toffees hovering just above the relegation zone.