ARNE SLOT has officially been confirmed as the new Liverpool manager.
The 45-year-old will join the Reds from Feyenoord ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Slot was born in Bergentheim, Netherlands on September 17, 1978.
His playing career began in 1995 with Zwolle, where he spent seven years in midfield and scored 50 goals in 164 appearances.
Slot played for NAC Breda for five years and Sparta Rotterdam for three years, before returning to Zwolle.
He scored over 100 goals in the course of his 18-year playing career.
Slot became youth coach of Zwolle after retiring from the side as a player in 2013.
In 2014, he was appointed as an assistant of Henk de Jong at Cambuur.
The following year he became John van den Brom’s assistant at AZ Alkmaar, going on to succeed him as the club’s head coach in 2019.
Slot made a fine start to the 19/20 season, picking up 19 points from his first eight games in charge.
But the season was cancelled in April 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic — AZ were joint top with Ajax on 56 points after 25 games.
With AZ seventh in the league, he was sacked before Christmas in 2020, as he was in talks with Feyenoord.
He later took over as head coach at Feyenoord after leaving AZ.
In his first full season at Feyenoord, Slot reached the inaugural Europa Conference League final, losing to José Mourinho’s Roma.
Slot led Feyenoord to their first League title in six years the following season.
He was heavily linked to the Spurs job at the beginning of the 23/24 season, but eventually opted to stay in the Netherlands.
In April 2024, Slot won his second trophy with Feyenoord when they beat NEC in the final of the 2024 Dutch Cup.
Slot was keen on taking charge at Anfield, just a year after snubbing Tottenham.
He’s not only been a successful manager, he’s also been hugely impressive with his playing style of very attack-minded, Pep Guardiola-style football
Marcel van der Kraan
However, Feyenoord refused to let Slot go and demanded a tasty fee.
Liverpool was in talks with their Dutch counterparts, and on April 24 offered £8million to release Slot from his contract.
On May 16, 2024, Jurgen Klopp announced Slot as his replacement and confirmed he would be taking his place in the dugout next season.
Speaking to reporters ahead of his final match in charge of Feyenoord, Slot said: “I can confirm that I will be the new Liverpool manager next season.”
Yes, Slot is married to his wife Miriam.
The couple reportedly has children, but no details about them are available in the public domain.
Slot is very private and prefers to keep his family’s personal information out of the spotlight.
Slot’s management style encourages his teams to play “sexy” and “attack-minded” football, according to journalist Marcel van der Kraan.
He told Sky Sports: “He’s not only been a successful manager, he’s also been hugely impressive with his playing style of very attack-minded, Pep Guardiola-style football.
“I don’t expect Feyenoord to stand in the way.
“They know he’s a manager in demand but they will demand a big compensation fee.
“He has two years left on his contract that was a record deal.
“Never before in Dutch football has a team paid a manager such huge wages.
‘The players like him, the fans love him, the club love him — they won’t want him to go.
“Feyenoord have every right to demand a big fee as there is no clause in his contract which he renewed last year.
“He’s been a successful coach and made Feyenoord champions playing crazy, sexy football.
It is sexy what this man brings on a football pitch”
Marcel van der Kraan
“There’s nothing more to win for him here.
“The next step for him is to enter a club in a big league and no league is bigger for the Dutch than the Premier League.”
By Dan King
LIVERPOOL’S new manager Arne Slot was a good enough player to have a type of pass named after him.
But it is as a manager that the Feyenoord head coach is really making his mark.
Like another bald Dutchman, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, Slot earned his stripes bossing smaller sides before being given a chance at one of the Netherlands’ big three.
But the question Liverpool are pondering is whether Slot would make a better fist of running one of the biggest clubs in the world than Ten Hag so far has at Old Trafford.
Slot, 45, was certainly easier on the eye as a player than centre back Ten Hag.
“The Arne Slot Ball” was something he perfected as a silky No 10 – a back-to-goal, first-time, 180-degree spin and flick behind the defensive line for a winger to run on to deep in the opposition half.
Click here to read all about the incoming Liverpool boss.
