Arne Slot signs three year contract as Liverpool's head coach
Former Feyenoord coach Arne Slot has been officially confirmed as Jurgen Klopp’s successor at Liverpool.
However, in a departure from tradition, the Dutchman will become the club’s first head coach rather than manager.
It is believed Slot has signed a three-year contract and will officially take over on 1 June, subject to a work permit.
In a departing message to Feyenoord fans on their official website, Slot said: “It is certainly not an easy decision to close the door behind you at a club where you have experienced so many wonderful moments, and worked so successfully with so many wonderful people.
“But as a sportsman, an opportunity to become a head coach in the Premier League, at one of the biggest clubs in the world, is difficult to ignore. I am grateful to Feyenoord for their willingness to cooperate in this transition.”
Liverpool’s exhaustive search - incorporating sophisticated data analysis, character and performance research, market assessment, performance evaluation and various other indicators - identified the 45-year-old as their preferred candidate several weeks ago and his desire to take the job allowed for a swift appointment.
It has been an open secret for some time, with Liverpool paying £9.4million compensation to Feyenoord to secure his services and Slot confirmed Anfield was his next destination at his final pre-match press conference at the Eredivisie club on Friday.
Liverpool were keen to move swiftly to replace Klopp with a number of other top European clubs also looking to recruit managers in what was seen as a “challenging market” this summer.
Slot was attractive to owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) as they believe he has demonstrated a reputation for over-performance with AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord, being able to bring the best out of players and has a clear footballing identity, while also adopting an holistic and collegiate approach which fits with their ethos.
His job title of head coach means he fits into the new football structure which has had an overhaul in the last few months with two former sporting directors – Michael Edwards and Julian Ward – returning to the fold as FSG’s chief executive of football and technical director respectively.
New sporting director Richard Hughes has been recruited from Bournemouth and will officially begin work on 1 June.
Liverpool’s new manager will be expected to be able to deliver more memorable European nights at Anfield.
Slot would bring plenty of 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.
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