What Arne Slot did on team bus shows how he'll handle unhappy Liverpool player

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The Liverpool boss revealed last week that Federico Chiesa was frustrated after being omitted from his Champions League squad.

Chiesa, 27, will miss out on representing the English champions during the competition's league phase, with the head coach selecting 17-year-old prodigy Rio Ngumoha instead of the Euro 2020 champion.

Chiesa delivered a vital contribution in August by netting in the Reds' season opener against Bournemouth.



This is because new arrival Giovanni Leoni, who cannot be registered in Liverpool's homegrown quota, might have been excluded instead, as Slot wouldn't have required additional defensive cover.

Chiesa ultimately suffered due to Slot's judgement, and the Dutch manager acknowledged before Sunday's trip to Burnley that the player was left disheartened!

However, the manager successfully transformed Dessers' mindset through a candid discussion during a team coach journey, which proved pivotal in reshaping the player's trajectory.

Dessers reflected: "When I was at Feyenoord, there was a match Arne Slot started with Bryan Linssen instead of me against Heerenveen

Cyriel Dessers played under Arne Slot at Feyenoord

There, Arne proved to me that he is not only a good manager, but also a good person.

"I sometimes miss that empathy in football with the media, with the fans too, who sometimes forget that a player is only human

So it's worth its weight in gold if you have a manager who treats you normally, honestly and with understanding."

Liverpool's Champions League journey kicks off on Wednesday as it welcomes Spanish heavyweight Atletico Madrid to Anfield.

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