Claim: A TikTok user shared a video clip spotlighting Liverpool boss Arne Slot, slamming umpire Michael Oliver after the Merseyside derby.
Verdict: False. The TikTok video clip is a digitally altered version of an Australian-owned sports channel, Optus Sports, interview with Slot, in which he expressed pleasure in his side’s triumph over Ipswich Town.
Full Text
Current Premier League leaders Liverpool’s 2-1 lead over derby rivals Everton was cut short when James Tarkowski scored a 98th-minute equaliser. Both sides squared up equal points after the game at Goodison Park.
But the equaliser became a domino effect that sparked chaos when the final whistle blew. Liverpool’s Curtis Jones charged at Abdoulaye Doucoure, who had moved to the visitors’ stand to taunt them in celebration. Both players were punished with red cards but were not the only recipients on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025.
Michael Oliver also handed Liverpool’s head coach, Arne Slot, and assistant Sipke Hulshoff, red cards. This was just as the Dutchman had gripped Oliver in his direction in what was supposed to be a handshake and Slot’s seeming disapproval at the events of the last minutes.
In the aftermath of the derby bedlam, a TikTok user, @veryscaryai, claimed via a video clip that Slot criticised Oliver, accusing the football umpire of receiving money from Everton’s president and loathing Liverpool.
“I told Michael Oliver tonight to give me some of the money he made from the Everton president, and he showed me a red card. I don’t know why he took offence to that, but we all know it’s true this dude hates Liverpool…” Slot was allegedly heard saying.
The Dutchman further alleged Oliver was complacent about unprofessionalism.
“Yes, he is an awful ref. Everyone knows that. I saw him doing a knee slide when Everton tied the game at the end. It was shocking to see,” the Reds’ coach allegedly said.
As of Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, the post has earned over 64,800 likes, 1,705 comments, 5020 bookmarks, and 11,400 shares.
DUBAWA noticed a divide in the opinions expressed towards the post by other TikTok users. While some shared the same sentiments in the manager’s comments, others pointed out that the video clip had been digitally manipulated.
“FIFA should come out about Michael Oliver. He added (five) minutes and Liverpool (conceded) in (seven) minutes,” Lubowa John757 expressed.
“No way this man (Slot) says this. This must be AI or something.” RAJI viewed.
Due to the divergent opinions and the sensitivity of the claim, DUBAWA decided to verify the video’s authenticity.
Verification
DUBAWA noticed both the Premier League and Liverpool logos on the background wallpaper in the area where Slot allegedly berates umpire Oliver. Apparently, it is set in Anfield— Liverpool’s sports arena— while the derby clash on Wednesday was played at Goodison Park (Everton’s home).
We conducted keyword searches on Google for post-match interviews that occurred at Anfield. We found some interview sessions with a background similar to that shared in the TikTok video clip. After scrutiny, DUBAWA found the interview setting showed the Liverpool manager answering questions in a context different from what was portrayed in the claimant’s post.
In the original interview shared by Optus Sports, an Australian-based football streaming platform, on YouTube, Slot praised his team’s side for being ruthless in their comfortable 4-1 victory against Premier League counterparts Ipswich Town on Jan 25, 2025. He further hoped his father was more enthralled at the game than when they had defeated Ligue 1 side Lille at the Champions League group stage three days before.
“I think he would. To be clear, he thought the little game wasn’t as exciting as the other ones we played a week before. Because a week before, we had 37 shots on target, which was a record for an away team in the Premier League,” Slot could be heard saying.
“And to be fair, Ipswich had a similar playing style to Lille. So it is not always easy to be exciting for us. But with us scoring four goals, I assume he finds it more exciting than the little game,” the Dutchman said of his father about his games.
Another prominent feature in both videos is the Liverpool manager’s active gesticulations, as his body language portrays the emotions in his words. But more importantly, these gesticulations are similar in the interview by Optus Sports and the TikTok video clip— a bemused smile plastered on his face, the relaxed raising of eyelids, shrugging of shoulders, and a confident nodding of the head. However, Optus Sport posted the interview session on Jan 25, 2025, three weeks before the TikTok user shared the video clip.
Besides, when Oliver disciplined Slot with a red card, it cost the latter the privilege of sharing his side of the incident with the press because Premier League rules instruct that any player, coach, or manager sanctioned with a red card would be debarred from participating in the post-match interview. Consequently, there was no way the Liverpool manager would have indulged in interview sessions after the match. When he talked to the press the next morning, he was somewhat remorseful about the incident, mentioning that “emotions got the better of me.”
We subjected the video to deepwareai, but it detected no deepfake material.
Conclusion
Careful analysis of the video clip shows it has been digitally altered from its original version.