Why Szoboszlai apologized to Liverpool fans before Champions League clash with PSG

Liverpool’s standout performer of the campaign, Dominik Szoboszlai, took the unusual step on Monday of issuing a public apology to supporters for what he termed a “misunderstanding” following the club’s 4-0 FA Cup defeat at Manchester City earlier this month.

Television footage showed the Hungarian midfielder raising his arms and applauding the travelling section after the final whistle, a gesture some fans interpreted as sarcastic. As boos echoed through the away end at the Etihad, teammate Federico Chiesa quickly ushered Szoboszlai toward the tunnel.

With a Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain looming on Tuesday, the 23-year-old addressed the incident head-on.

“Maybe it was a misunderstanding between me and the fans,” Szoboszlai said. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I know what the fans mean to this club and what the club means to the fans. We do everything for the fans as they do for us. If it was a misunderstanding then I apologize. I’m not feeling better than them, I feel exactly the same as they do. I am with them, we are with them and hopefully they are with us as well.”

The apology comes at a pivotal moment for Arne Slot’s side, who must overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg in Paris if they are to keep their European dream alive. Memories of Liverpool’s famous 4-0 comeback against Barcelona at Anfield in 2019 offer a template, but PSG arrive on Merseyside as the reigning champions and in formidable form.

“There is a belief that we can do special things tomorrow but we need to be very, very, very special tomorrow to achieve that because we are playing against the champions of Europe,” Slot acknowledged. “We know we need an exceptional performance to go through to the next round.”

PSG coach Luis Enrique, mindful of continental football’s capacity for drama, warned against complacency. “You need to be really careful, there could be pitfalls and it could be a trap,” he said. “Everyone says, ‘You won the first leg easily and you were much better than the opposition.’ It might be the case but things can change so quickly in a football match.”

Szoboszlai, who has scored 12 goals this season including spectacular efforts against Arsenal and City, will hope his on-field exploits do the talking as Liverpool chase another European miracle.