Liverpool head coach and his assistant, Sipke Hulshoff, will be , including today's game with . The pair will also be banned for the Southampton fixture in the which will take place at the start of March.
In their absence, , who arrived at Anfield with Slot in the summer, will be the main man in the dugout. But Slot and Hulshoff before the game and at half-time, and can communicate with the bench via a phone call at any point.
"It was alleged that the assistant head coach acted in an improper manner and/or used insulting and/or abusive words and/or behavior towards a match official, which led to his dismissal," an FA statement read. "It was further alleged that he acted in an improper manner and/or used insulting and/or abusive words and/or behavior towards a match official after being sent off.
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"Sipke Hulshoff admitted the charge, and the Regulatory Commission imposed a two-match touchline suspension and £7,000 ($9,000) fine. The Regulatory Commission's written reasons for these sanctions will be published in due course."
But who is Heitinga? The 41-year-old spent a year at West Ham United working under David Moyes, before joining up with Slot at the start of the 2024/25 campaign. His experience and knowledge of the Premier League were cited as major factors in Liverpool hiring him.
The Dutchman spent five years playing in England. That mainly came with Everton, where he made 140 appearances for the Toffees. An experienced player at international level too, Heitinga is also one of just five players to be sent off in a World Cup final.
Heitinga’s only managerial experience so far came during his time at Ajax, when he oversaw the second half of the club’s 2022/23 season. But the Amsterdam club opted against renewing his contract at the end of the campaign.
It was a decision that surprised Slot, who was managing in the Netherlands at the time. He thought Ajax made a mistake in allowing his now assistant to leave.
"That Sven Mislintat did not choose Heitinga as head coach at the time and that he left Ajax for that reason, Liverpool is now profiting from that," he told . "Apparently they did not realize in Amsterdam that they had an excellent coach in-house."
Heitinga had won 11 of his 16 league matches in charge. He also guided the team to the KNVB Cup final. Since arriving at Liverpool, he has further increased his experience and is a highly valued and well thought of member of Slot's coaching team.
Liverpool.com says: While Slot and Hulshoff being absent from the touchline is not ideal, it won't make that much of a difference for the Reds. The players are well-drilled at this point and know exactly what is required from them. In reality, the punishment is probably closer to an inconvenience than a real hindrance.
