ANP/AFP/VINCENT JANNINK
Feyenoord Coach Arne Slot’s expression during the Dutch League match between Go Ahead Eagles and Feyenoord at De Adelaarshorst, Wednesday (11/5/2022). AS Roma and Feyenoord will compete in the final of the European Conference League at the Air Albania Stadium, Tirana, Albania, Thursday (26/5/2022) early morning WIB.
After several of the coaches they were targeting failed to provide confirmation, Liverpool management began to approach Arne Slot, coach of the Dutch club Feyenoord. Slot is considered suitable to replace Liverpool Manager Juergen Klopp because of his expertise in improving the players’ abilities and his coaching style which always encourages his team to play aggressively.
With this coaching style, Slot was successful in bringing Feyenoord to win the KNVB Cup, Sunday (21/4/2024). Previously, in the 2022-2023 season, the 45 year old coach also succeeded in bringing his club to win the Dutch League. This success was the first for Feyenoord in the last six years.
Previously, Klopp stated that he would stop coaching Liverpool at the end of this season. To replace Klopp, Liverpool approached Bayer Leverkusen Coach Xabi Alonso and Sporting Lisbon Coach Ruben Amorim. However, both of them have not shown interest and say they are still under contract with their respective clubs next season.
This is what made Liverpool set their sights on the Dutch League and Slot became the leading choice. Slot has proven capable of turning Feyenoord into a very effective club in attack, with a line of players who are not star quality.
AFP/ANP/MAURICE VAN STEEN
Feyenoord coach Arne Slot celebrates his team’s success in winning the KNVB Cup after beating NEC Nijmegen in the final match at the Stadio de Kuip, Rotterdam, Sunday (21/4/2024).
Since coaching Feyenoord in July 2021, Slot has led his team to 94 wins from 146 matches or winning 64.38 percent of matches. This season, Feyenoord is in second place in the Dutch League standings, behind PSV.
The former AZ Alkmaar coach also led Feyenoord to become runners-up in the European Conference League in the 2021-2022 season. In the final match, Feyenoord lost to AS Roma, which was then coached by Jose Mourinho.
Slot has actually expressed his interest in coaching in England. Late last season, Slot revealed that. ”(My) next step is not to move to another Dutch club. “The next normal step is abroad and as I always say, the best league in the world is the Premier League,” said Slot, quoted by the BBC.
However, trying to get a slot is not an easy matter for Liverpool. Currently, the management of AC Milan, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also actively approaching Slot.
Also read: Five Names of Liverpool Coach Candidates, Who is the Favorite?
AFP/NICOLAS DOZEN
Feyenoord players celebrate at the end of the second European Conference League semi-final match between Olympique Marseille and Feyenoord at the Velodrome Stadium, Marseille, France, Thursday (5/5/2022), which ended 0-0.
Moreover, Slot is under contract until the end of the 2026 season. On the other hand, there is no release clause in Slot’s contract so Feyenoord can keep their coach if they don’t want to sell him anywhere.
“We assume he will remain our coach next year,” said Dennis te Kloese, Feyenoord Technical Director, after the KNVB Cup final.
On Tuesday (23/4/2024), The Times reported that Feyenoord did not deny or confirm Liverpool’s interest in Slot. Meanwhile, the press conference ahead of the Dutch League match between Feyenoord and Go Ahead Eagles, which was supposed to feature Slot, on Wednesday (24/4/2024), was cancelled. This means that Slot cannot be questioned by journalists.
Also read: Klopp’s End, Liverpool Bitter
The normal next step is abroad and as I always say, the best league in the world is the Premier League.
AFP/ODD ANDERSEN
AS Roma coach Jose Mourinho releases the runner-up medal at the ceremony after the Europa League final at the Puskas Arena, Budapest, Hungary, Thursday (1/6/2023) early morning WIB. Roma lost to Sevilla on penalties, 1-4.
Mourinho’s speculation
Meanwhile, it is rumored that Jose Mourinho is also interested in coaching Liverpool. This speculation arose after Mourinho watched Fulham’s match against Liverpool live at Craven Cottage Stadium, London, Sunday (21/4/2024).
Mourinho’s presence may be due to the proximity of his residence in London to the stadium. However, his remarks while watching the MotoGP series in Portugal made him linked with the vacant position of Liverpool coach at the end of this season.
At the motor racing event, the coach who was fired by AS Roma in January 2024 told journalists that he was looking for a job as a coach this summer. This is what then made Mourinho linked with Liverpool.
However, Mourinho’s coaching style is at odds with the Liverpool style of play that Klopp has developed so far. Mourinho has a pragmatic defensive approach, while Liverpool under Klopp tend to play aggressively attacking.