Liverpool made the official announcement of appointing Arne Slot as their new manager on Monday. That Slot, who was coaching Feyenoord before taking over the job at Liverpool, was the preferred choice to replace the departing Juergen Klopp has been known for quite some time.
Slot has been in charge of Dutch team Feyenoord since 2021, and won the Eredivisie league title in 2022-23 along with the KNVB Cup this season. Feyenoord also reached the Europa Conference League final in his first season at the club.
“It’s certainly not an easy decision to close the door behind you at a club where you’ve had so many great moments and worked successfully with so many great people,” Dutchman Slot said in a statement on Feyenoord’s website.
“But an opportunity to become a head coach in the Premier League, at one of the biggest clubs in the world, is hard to ignore as a sportsman.”
Klopp announced in January that he would leave Liverpool at the end of this season and, after much speculation, Slot confirmed on Friday that he would become the Liverpool manager.
“Liverpool Football Club can announce Arne Slot has agreed a deal to become the club’s new head coach, formally taking up the position on June 1, 2024, subject to a work permit,” the Anfield club said in a statement on Monday.
Liverpool took its time identifying Klopp’s successor. Michael Edwards, its former sporting director, returned in March as chief executive of football for the club’s American owners Fenway Sports Group and led the search.
Edwards was a key figure in Klopp’s success — overseeing the signings of star players like Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker, and Virgil van Dijk.
On Sunday, after Liverpool’s final game of the season, a 2-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, Klopp led the Anfield crowd in a song for the incoming manager.
Slot was linked with the Tottenham Hotspur job at the end of last season before signing a contract extension at Feyenoord, and his aggressive, attacking style attracted Liverpool to entice the Dutchman to the Premier League.
Liverpool ended the season third in the Premier League, nine points off champions Manchester City, while Feyenoord finished runners-up to PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie.
Fans’ farewell
Slot was given a rousing send-off by the Feyenoord fans after their final league game of the season on Sunday, a 4-0 home win over Excelsior, as the 45-year-old’s three-year spell at the club came to an end.
“I really enjoyed my three years at Feyenoord and felt very much at home from day one, both within the club and with the supporters,” Slot said.
“When I started in Rotterdam in the summer of 2021, I was convinced that it was possible to achieve success at this wonderful club.
“The fact that we have reached a European final in three years and have won several prizes makes me more than proud.”
This season, Feyenoord were denied a repeat of their title win only by an impressive PSV, who have lost once, while Feyenoord have suffered defeat twice, the same as last term, to finish nine points of the pace.
Slot’s success and entertaining brand of football has previously attracted interest from English clubs, including Crystal Palace and Leeds United, before Spurs tried to persuade him to join them at the end of last season.
