Liverpool are set to enter into negotiations with the Premier League after they were found to have breached multi-ball rules during their 2-1 loss to Manchester United. Under rules to be introduced in 2022, the ball will be placed on tees around the pitch, players will be expected to pick it up, and ball boys and girls will not be allowed to hand it over.
Earlier this season, Aston Villa admitted breaching the multi-ball rule multiple times last season and were fined £125,000. Multi-ball systems will also be prohibited for the first three home games of the 2025/26 season.
It was revealed that ballboys and ballgirls were not following protocol and handing the ball to players multiple times rather than leaving them to retrieve it from the cone. According to the Daily Mail, the Premier League champions are not expected to face a similar fine, given Unai Emery’s side have been charged with multiple offences.
Liverpool are likely to be given a slap on the wrist and a reminder of the rules, according to reports. Although United are said to have made no complaints, the Reds’ tactics raised eyebrows among senior officials present at Anfield.
The Daily Mail reported that the Premier League and Liverpool declined to comment. For Arne Slott, who wants to get back to winning ways, the multiball system is probably the least of his worries at the moment.
The Merseyside side have lost their last four games in all competitions, with defeats to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray, Chelsea and United. Speaking to reporters on Sunday night, the Liverpool manager highlighted the number of chances his side had missed.
“If you had told me that we were losing 1-0 against a United team that played in their style, and that we would create eight, nine, 10 open chances, I would have told you that I don’t think it’s possible,” Slott said. “But it was possible.
“So, the second failure was that we only scored one goal out of the chances we had. I’ve said it many times in Holland and maybe I’ve said it here too, but it’s almost impossible to win big games in football – and Liverpool vs. United is a big game with a lot of quality players on the pitch – and it’s almost impossible to win with a negative set-piece balance. We conceded another goal and that led to the loss of the game.”
On whether his team has lost confidence, Slott said: “Are we losing confidence? We don’t know yet. Because every game we lost we were able to create some incredible chances in the second half.”
“If you look back at all three games we lost in the Premier League and line up the highlights, I would say there’s very little chance of them losing this game. So if we can continue to do what we’re doing and do some things a little bit better, there’s every reason to expect we’ll start winning football games again.”
“But I can’t promise that on Wednesday night (when Liverpool play Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League) we will be able to create eight, nine or even 10 open chances again. I hope so and with the players we have now, it will ultimately lead to us scoring more goals.”
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