Liverpool have confirmed Arne Slot has left the club with immediate effect.
Slot had been expected to stay for a third season in charge at Anfield despite a hugely disappointing trophy-less season that saw them finish fifth in the Premier League, narrowly securing Champions League qualification.
But instead the Reds have opted to part company with the Dutchman, who led Liverpool to the Premier League title in his first season at the helm, with former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola the early favourite to replace him.
Liverpool part with Slot
A Liverpool statement read: “That this was a difficult decision for us to make as a club goes without saying. The contribution Arne has made to Liverpool FC in the time that he has been with us has been significant, meaningful and – most importantly of all to supporters and ourselves – successful.
“As such, our appreciation for everything he has achieved could not be greater, particularly as it was underpinned by a work ethic, a diligence and a level of expertise which further underlined our view that he is a leader in his field.
“From the moment that we first encountered Arne, it was immediately clear that he is an individual who does not merely accept responsibility, he embraces it. This was evident when he agreed to take over as head coach, when he guided us to the Premier League title and throughout the season just ended when he faced considerable challenges and burdens.
“At the same time, we have collectively come to the conclusion that change is necessary in order for the club to keep moving forward. Again, it must be stressed that this is not a decision which has been reached lightly, anything but.
“We would like to take this opportunity to place on record our appreciation for Arne, who will always hold a special place in the history of this football club as the coach who delivered Liverpool’s 20th league title.
“That accomplishment – made all the more remarkable as it arrived in his very first season in charge – was built on outstanding coaching and leadership every single day.”
Liverpool won the Premier League title by a comfortable 10-point margin in Slot’s first season in charge, and it was expected they would build from there after spending a remarkable £446million in last summer’s transfer window.
The Reds brought in Alexander Isak from Newcastle United for a British-record £125m free, while Florian Wirtz was signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £100m. Hugo Ekitike, an £82.4m signing from Eintracht Frankfurt, impressed before tearing his Achilles last month, but Isak endured a season dogged by injury and poor form, Wirtz was inconsistent and defensive signings Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez struggled mightily.
In addition to attempting to help those players settle in, Slot also had to deal with managing a group hit by the tragedy of losing team-mate Diogo Jota.
Jota and brother Andre Silva were killed in a car accident in Spain last July.
Liverpool’s statement continued: “He [Slot] also helped guide the club through one of the most difficult periods imaginable following the loss of Diogo. The compassion and humanity he showed throughout that time said a great deal about him as a person.
“As such, we can only wish Arne well in the next stage of his coaching career, with our expectation being that he will continue to be successful. We do so in the knowledge that his Liverpool legacy is intact and will become yet more meaningful in the years and decades to come.”
Iraola the Liverpool frontrunner
For all the praise of Slot, Liverpool’s statement ended with a nod to their likely reasoning for the decision.
Liverpool’s form dropped off dramatically from their title-winning season, with the poor results and sloppy defensive displays exacerbated by a style of football that drew widespread criticism.
“Nevertheless, the conclusion we have come to is built on a belief that the team’s trajectory is best addressed through a change of direction,” the statement added. “That does not diminish the work Arne has done here, or the respect we have for him. Nor is it a reflection of his talents. Rather, it is indicative of the need for a different approach.
“Arne leaves with our gratitude, with a Premier League title to his name, and with the knowledge that he and his family will always be welcomed back at Anfield.”
The different approach Liverpool seem set to pursue is to appoint Iraola, who earned significant plaudits for his work at Bournemouth, which he capped by guiding the Cherries to a sixth-placed finish this season despite losing Kerkez to Anfield and centre-backs Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi to Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain respectively.
Playing a high-intensity brand of football, Bournemouth finished just three points behind Liverpool this season in Iraola’s final campaign at the Vitality Stadium, securing European football for the club for the first time in their history.
He announced in April that he would leave the club to pursue a new challenge. Having been linked with Bayer Leverkusen and Crystal Palace, that new challenge appears likely to be at Liverpool, with Iraola a manager who can provide a return to the ‘heavy mental’ brand of football that the departing Mohamed Salah called for earlier this month.
