Soccer

Arne Slot confirms he will replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool

Slot confirms the news at his final press conference as Feyenoord manager ahead of their match against Excelsior

Arne Slot has said he will take over as Liverpool head coach next season. Photograph: Richard Sellers/PA Wire
Arne Slot has said he will take over as Liverpool head coach next season. Photograph: Richard Sellers/PA Wire
Fri May 17 2024 - 18:17

Arne Slot has confirmed he will take over as Liverpool boss next season.

The 45-year-old, who had been expected to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, suggested official confirmation from the Reds would soon follow.

“I can confirm that I will be a coach at Liverpool next season,” Slot said in his final press conference as Feyenoord boss ahead of the team’s match with Excelsior.

Klopp will leave Anfield after nine years at the end of the season and the Reds are confident their search for his successor has identified the best candidate.

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A compensation deal with the Dutch side was agreed in late April, when Liverpool considered the deal to be done.

A statement on Feyenoord’s website read: “The final league match of the season against Excelsior next Sunday is officially Arne Slot’s last game as coach of Feyenoord.”

It added: “Immediately after the end of the last game of the season, Feyenoord will organise a farewell moment for Slot, who can look back on a very successful time at De Kuip, with a championship and a cup win, among other things.”

Earlier this month Slot, whose side are set to finish runners-up to PSV when their Eredivisie campaign concludes in a Rotterdam derby with Excelsior on Sunday, insisted he was confident a deal would get done, suggesting no news would likely come until the end of the season.

He told a press conference: “I am more than happy to answer any questions after the official announcement is made.

“I have all the confidence that will happen but for now, it hasn’t been confirmed officially yet.

[ Ken Early: The shadow of Jürgen Klopp will loom over Liverpool for years ]

“There is a time and place to do so and this moment today is not that moment. There are three games to go for us and also for Liverpool.”

Slot revealed he would be unbothered about his official title, whether manager or head coach, to fit in with the Liverpool’s footballing structure, adding: “I’m not interested in what you call me: you can call me Arne, head coach or manager.

“I don’t care as long as I can do what I like and that is being with the players on the pitch, working with them and being at the games as that is the most special.”

The former midfielder spent his playing career in the Netherlands with Zwolle, NAC Breda and Sparta Rotterdam.

After moving into coaching roles at Cambuur and then AZ Alkmaar, he stepped up into the manager’s job with the latter for the 2019–20 season, which was interrupted by the Covid pandemic. AZ finished second behind Ajax on goal difference in the shortened campaign.

Slot left for Feyenoord in December 2020 – succeeding Dick Advocaat – and brought former Arsenal and Manchester United forward Robin Van Persie onto his staff.

In May 2022, Feyenoord reached their first Europa Conference League final, losing to Roma and finished third in the league. Slot’s second season at De Kuip saw Feyenoord win the Eredivisie title – the first for the club since 2017. Earlier this month, Feyenoord beat NEC Nijmegen to lift the 2024 KNVB Cup.

Liverpool’s new manager will be under pressure to deliver more memorable European nights at Anfield and Slot brings plenty of that experience with him.

While at AZ, he took his side into the Europa League, where they played Manchester United in 2019. After moving to Feyenoord, Slot guided the club to the Europa Conference League final in May 2022. Eredivisie success brought with it a crack at the Champions League for 2023–24.

Despite beating Celtic and Lazio in their group, the Dutch side did not qualify for the knockout stage and then lost out to Roma in the Europa League play-off round.