Liverpool are in danger of ending the 2025/26 season with very little success in any competition, which could be bad news for Arne Slot, thinks Robbie Fowler.
The Reds host Galatasaray in a second-leg Champions League meeting on Wednesday, needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the reverse fixture in Turkey last week.
Should Liverpool fail to progress and go on to win the entire competition, Fowler has suggested that, on top of not finishing in the top-tier European places in the Premier League, it could see questions asked of Slot.
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Speaking on Premier League Productions this week, the former striker was commenting on the financial impact of missing out on Champions League football when he mooted Slot’s future at the club.
He said: “Liverpool need to get into the Champions League, not from a club point of view but from a monetary point of view. Liverpool should be in the higher echelons of the league and the latter stages of every competition they go into.
“The problem with them winning the league last year is that everyone’s expectations are going to rise and if you’re not challenging, expectations are going to drop.
“It’s a must they get into the Champions League. But I think they have genuinely got to win a competition. We’ll be stood here towards the end of the season and if they haven’t got any of them, questions will be asked about the manager again.”
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How FSG would cope without Champions League football
At present, Liverpool are predicted a fifth-place finish in the Premier League despite their 1-1 draw with Tottenham at the weekend.
UEFA’s coefficient table means that, barring a big collapse from English sides, that will be enough to secure Champions League football in 2026/27.
However, should Liverpool lose out on that place to someone like Chelsea, FSG’s plan has been explained by Kieran Maguire.
He first suggested that money would be saved from no bonuses being paid out for qualifying for the Champions League.
The finance expert then added: “In terms of needing short-term capital, the first route FSG would take if they didn’t qualify for the Champions League would be to use their overdraft facility.
“The credit facility is negotiable and they are held in high esteem because the owners can underwrite it. At the year end, the club had a revolving credit facility of £350m, of which £69m had been drawn down.
“After that, they would rather go to FSG than use third-party lenders because the latter option increases your interest costs.”
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