close
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
Liverpool v Newcastle United - Carabao Cup Final - Source: Getty" srcset="https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/8103c-17500673342121-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/8103c-17500673342121-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/8103c-17500673342121-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/8103c-17500673342121-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/8103c-17500673342121-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/8103c-17500673342121-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/8103c-17500673342121-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/06/8103c-17500673342121-1920.jpg 1920w">
Liverpool v Newcastle United - Carabao Cup Final - Source: Getty
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.
Why did you not like this content?
Cancel Submit
Was this article helpful?
like selected
avatar selected
Thank You for feedback
About the author
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,
Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.
A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.
He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.
Know More
Quick Links
More from Sportskeeda
Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee