Liverpool reach Carabao Cup final: Arne Slot says 'only special if you win'

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is very pleased to have successfully led the team to the final of the English League Cup, but he also emphasized: "Only by winning the championship will this promotion have special significance."

In the second leg of the League Cup semi-final, Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur 4-0, successfully reversing the 0-1 deficit from the first leg. Liverpool will face Newcastle United in the Wembley final on Sunday, March 16. Last season, Liverpool won the competition under the leadership of Jurgen Klopp.

Slot, a 46-year-old Dutchman who joined from Feyenoord this summer, is in his first season managing English football and has his first opportunity to set foot on Wembley Stadium. In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, Slot mentioned the 1992 European Cup final, in which Barcelona beat Sampdoria 1-0 at Wembley, saying: "We Dutch know how important Wembley is to Ronald Koeman, Barcelona and Johan Cruyff. Being able to come here is very special because I know the iconic significance of this stadium."

Slot added: "Only by winning the championship will this experience truly be meaningful. We know it will be very difficult because Newcastle United is a strong team." Last season, Slot led Feyenoord to win the Dutch Cup, defeating NEC Nijmegen 1-0 in the final. He said: "Participating in the final is always exciting. We are working hard every day to improve the team's level, and the players are also working hard to improve themselves, but the ultimate goal is to enter the final and win the championship."

Slot also said that this may be the best night since he coached Liverpool - in the 37 games he has coached, he has won 29 and lost only 3, an impressive record. He said: "I think we have experienced some good nights, but qualifying for the final should be even more special, and it really is. From this perspective, this is definitely the most special night."

Currently, Liverpool leads the Premier League by 6 points and has advanced to the Champions League Round of 16. Slot hopes that success in the League Cup is just the beginning, bringing more glory to the team this season. He will emulate several other managers by using this competition as a springboard for further success. Of the 11 managers who have won the Premier League title, four have won the League Cup first, namely Alex Ferguson, Manuel Pellegrini, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.

Especially for Mourinho and Guardiola, this was not only their first trophy in the country, but also the beginning of their brilliant achievements in English football. Chelsea captain John Terry, talking about winning the League Cup in 2005 under Mourinho, said: "It pointed us in the direction we wanted to go. It gave us a taste of what we wanted - more. Many people dismiss this competition, but it was very important to me, and when we look back at the 2004-05 season... it had a huge impact on our confidence and motivation." In Mourinho's own words: "If there is any secret, it is to take it seriously." A few months after winning the League Cup for the first time, Mourinho - like Pellegrini and Guardiola at Manchester City - went on to win the league title.

Liverpool is currently a favorite to win the Premier League, Champions League and League Cup, and is also competitive in the FA Cup. Considering that it was widely believed that Liverpool's performance would decline after the departure of legendary coach Klopp, their performance this season has been outstanding. The only season in which Klopp won multiple major trophies was the 2021-22 season, when they won the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports: "For Liverpool, this could be a very, very special season. In the past 3 to 4 years, under Klopp, they have twice maintained the hope of winning four competitions at this stage of the season, and in the end they won two League Cups and one FA Cup. But they did not win the most important trophies. The most important thing is to win important trophies, the Premier League and the Champions League."

Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp added: "They are currently in an excellent position, and everything looks good for them. Can they seize this opportunity, win four trophies, and create unprecedented achievements? I don't think you will ever find a better opportunity. Liverpool can now be said to be the best team in the world. This is almost beyond his (Slot's) wildest dreams. When he came here and took over from someone like Klopp, he may have just hoped that everything would go smoothly. But everything he has done is absolutely amazing. He has been outstanding."