Wikipedia

Arne Slot

Arend Martijn "Arne" Slot (born 17 September 1978) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player. He is the head coach of Premier League club Liverpool.

Arne Slot
Slot in 2024
Personal information
Full name Arend Martijn Slot
Date of birth (1978-09-17) 17 September 1978 (age 46)
Place of birth Bergentheim, Netherlands
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Liverpool (head coach)
Youth career
VV Bergentheim
FC Zwolle
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–2002 FC Zwolle 164 (50)
2002–2007 NAC Breda 142 (21)
2007–2010 Sparta Rotterdam 54 (6)
2009–2010 → FC Zwolle (loan) 28 (7)
2010–2013 PEC Zwolle 74 (16)
Total 462 (100)
Managerial career
2016–2017 Cambuur
2019–2020 AZ
2021–2024 Feyenoord
2024– Liverpool
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Slot played as a midfielder for FC Zwolle, where he won the Eerste Divisie in 2002, NAC Breda and Sparta Rotterdam before retiring as a player back at PEC Zwolle, where he won another Eerste Divisie title in 2012.

He started his managerial career in the academy of PEC Zwolle and as an assistant at Cambuur before taking over as co-head coach at the latter. In 2017, he became an assistant at AZ, where he was appointed head coach in 2019. Slot became head coach of Feyenoord in 2021. He led the club to the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League final in his first season and won the club the Eredivisie and the KNVB Cup in subsequent seasons.

Early life and playing career

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Arend Martijn Slot[2] was born on 17 September 1978 in Bergentheim,[3] where he was raised.[4] Slot started his football career at amateur side VV Bergentheim. He then moved to FC Zwolle, where he got into the first team as a 17-year-old in 1995. Slot started his professional career struggling with injuries and little playing time under the management of Jan Everse, but eventually became a goal-scoring attacking midfielder in Zwolle. In 2002, FC Zwolle won the Eerste Divisie to return to the Eredivisie after 13 years. Slot moved to NAC Breda in the same year.[4]

Under the management of Henk ten Cate, NAC Breda finished fourth in the Eredivisie in Slot's first season, NAC Breda's best league finish since 1956. Slot played his only games in European football in the first round of the UEFA Cup in 2003 as NAC Breda lost 5–0 and 0–1 to Newcastle United. He joined Sparta Rotterdam in the summer of 2007 before returning to FC Zwolle in the Eerste Divisie on a loan deal in 2009, before signing a permanent deal in 2010. FC Zwolle won the Eerste Divisie in 2012 to return to the Eredivisie, where Slot played one final season before retiring as a player. According to teammate Edwin de Graaf, he was "not so fast".[5] Everse believes that with a lack of physicality, Slot got the most out of his playing career due to his passing and vision.[6]

Coaching career

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Early career

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According to teammate Bram van Polen, Slot behaved like a coach at PEC Zwolle in his final years as a football player.[6] After retiring from playing in 2013 at PEC Zwolle, Slot moved onto the club's staff, working as a youth coach for a year, before being appointed as an assistant coach of Henk de Jong at Cambuur. After De Jong left the club in 2016, Slot remained an assistant coach at Cambuur under the management of Marcel Keizer and Rob Maas. The club were relegated to the Eerste Divisie after finishing bottom of the Eredivisie in 2016. On 15 October 2016, Slot became interim coach together with Sipke Hulshoff (nl) after Maas was fired.[7] On 5 January 2017, Cambuur announced that Slot and Hulshoff would remain head coaches for the remainder of the season after "excellent results" and a "pleasant way of working".[8]

Slot and Hulshoff helped Cambuur climb from 14th to 3rd place in the league, missing out on promotion to the Eredivisie after losing to MVV in the play-offs. In the KNVB Cup, Cambuur reached the semi-finals for the first time in its club history, having knocked out record winners Ajax. The club missed out on the final after losing to AZ on penalties.[9]

AZ

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In 2017, Slot left Cambuur to join AZ, working as an assistant to John van den Brom. AZ's technical director Max Huiberts called Slot "experienced, studious, innovative and ambitious".[10] AZ finished third and fourth in the Eredivisie in 2018 and 2019 and lost the 2018 KNVB Cup final to Feyenoord. On 10 December 2018, it was announced that Slot would succeed Van den Brom as head coach for the 2019–20 season.[11]

Slot became the first coach to win 19 points in his first eight Eredivisie games at AZ.[12] In his first season in charge, AZ reached the round of 32 of the UEFA Europa League. The same season, the Eredivisie was cancelled midway due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AZ finished second behind Ajax on goal difference, although no title was awarded for the season. The following season, AZ got knocked out by Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. In the UEFA Europa League group stage, AZ beat Napoli 0–1, which Slot called "a historic win for AZ standards".[13] On 5 December 2020, Slot was sacked as head coach of AZ for not being focused on the team, having recently negotiated a deal with Feyenoord.[14] At the time, AZ was in seventh place in the Eredivisie. In his time at AZ, Slot earned 2.11 points per game in the Eredivisie, the highest of any coach in the club's history.[15]

Feyenoord

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2021–22: UEFA Europa Conference League final

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On 15 December 2020, Feyenoord announced that the club had reached a deal with Slot for him to become the club's new coach from the start of the 2021–22 season.[16] The deal would see Slot sign for two years, with Feyenoord having the option to extend his contract for a third year. Slot succeeded the experienced Dick Advocaat, who led the team to fifth place in the Eredivisie and qualification to the UEFA Europa Conference League Qualifiers. Slot was appointed to build a new team with a recognisable playing style. Marino Pušić (first assistant coach) and Robin van Persie (field coach) were added to his staff, while John de Wolf was retained as second assistant coach. During Slot's first season, Feyenoord reached the round of 16 in European football for the first time in twenty years, finishing ahead of Slavia Prague, Union Berlin and Maccabi Haifa in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage. In February 2022, Feyenoord used the club option to extend Slot's contract until 2024.[17] In the knock-out stage of the Europa Conference League, the club knocked out Partizan, Slavia Prague and Marseille to reach the inaugural Europa Conference League final.[18] Feyenoord lost the final 1–0 to Roma in Tirana and finished in third place in the Eredivisie. Slot was awarded the Rinus Michels Award for the Eredivisie Manager of the Year.[19][20]

2022–23: Eredivisie title

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Slot managing Feyenoord in 2023

Ahead of the 2022–23 season, Slot extended his contract at Feyenoord for a year, until 2025.[21] Feyenoord won a UEFA Europa League group of Midtjylland, Lazio and Sturm Graz to reach the round of 16 of Europe's secondary club football tournament for a first time since 2002. In the round of 16, Feyenoord beat Shakhtar Donetsk 7–1 on 17 March 2023, Feyenoord's biggest win in European football since 1995.[22] With the win, Slot overtook Ernst Happel and Bert van Marwijk to become the first Feyenoord manager to have won 15 matches in European football.[23]

Slot finished his second season at Feyenoord with Feyenoord winning the league, the club's first league title since 2017 and sixteenth in the club's history.[24] Feyenoord were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League by Roma and in the semi-finals of the KNVB Cup by Ajax. In May 2023, Slot was heavily linked with the vacant manager's job at Tottenham Hotspur. By the end of the month, Slot announced he would be remaining with Feyenoord and extended his contract with a year, to mid-2026.[25][26][27] Slot was awarded the Rinus Michels Award for Eredivisie Manager of the Year in June 2023, becoming the fourth coach to win the award for consecutive editions, after Guus Hiddink, Frank de Boer and Erik ten Hag.[28]

2023–24: Final season in Rotterdam

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In the 2023–24 season, Feyenoord was knocked out of the UEFA Champions League group stage, finishing third in a group with Atlético Madrid, Lazio, and Celtic, and then was knocked out by Roma for a third consecutive season, losing on penalties in the UEFA Europa League knock-out round play-offs. By managing the second leg against Roma, Slot equalled a club record of Van Marwijk of managing 36 European games.[29] On 21 April 2024, Feyenoord beat NEC in the final to win its 14th KNVB Cup. Many pundits have described Arne Slot as one of the best coaches in the history of Feyenoord, as he combined results with developing players and playing attacking, attractive football.[30] His final game on 19 May was a 4–0 home win over city rivals Excelsior Rotterdam, to finish as runners-up to PSV.[31]

Liverpool

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In April 2024, it was reported that Premier League side Liverpool had reached an agreement with Feyenoord for Slot to manage the club at the end of the season, replacing the departing Jürgen Klopp.[32] Slot confirmed this news in May.[33] On 20 May, Liverpool announced that Slot would become head coach on 1 June 2024, subject to a work permit.[34] On 17 August, he won his first Premier League match with the club after a 2–0 win away at Ipswich Town.[35] He was the first Liverpool manager since Gérard Houllier in 1998 to win his first game in charge.[36] He beat club rivals Manchester United 3–0 on his first visit to Old Trafford in his third game as manager on 1 September, becoming only the second Liverpool manager to win in his first match at Old Trafford, after George Kay in 1936. Shortly after, Slot became the first Premier League manager to win his first 6 away games, the quickest Premier League manager to reach 15 wins in all competitions and the first Liverpool manager to win the first 11 out of 12 matches at the start of a season.[37][38][39]

Personal life

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Slot and his wife Mirjam have two children, a son and a daughter.[40]

Managerial statistics

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As of match played 9 November 2024
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record Ref.
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
SC Cambuur   15 October 2016 30 June 2017 34 21 6 7 75 31 +44 061.76 [41]
AZ Alkmaar   1 July 2019 5 December 2020 58 32 16 10 118 52 +66 055.17 [42]
Feyenoord   1 July 2021 31 May 2024 150 98 29 23 344 150 +194 065.33 [43]
Liverpool   1 June 2024 Present 17 15 1 1 39 10 +29 088.24 [44]
Total 259 166 52 41 576 243 +333 064.09 —

Honours

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Player

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Zwolle

Manager

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Feyenoord

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "Speler informatie Arne Slot" [Player information Arne Slot] (in Dutch). Eredivisie. Archived from the original on 13 November 2008.
  2. ^ "Slot, van voetballer tot succescoach: 'Arne was jong en beetje eigenwijs'". nos.nl (in Dutch). 25 May 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Slot: Paspoort" [Slot: Passport]. Voetbal International (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 13 February 2012.
  4. ^ a b Vlietstra, Bart (26 April 2024). "Arne Slot: the overachiever and 'good guy' who can spark a revolution". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  5. ^ Miller, Nick (14 May 2023). "Arne Slot – a champion with Feyenoord and a manager coveted by the Premier League". The Athletic. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  6. ^ a b Went, Rens (25 May 2022). "Slot, van voetballer tot succescoach: 'Arne was jong en beetje eigenwijs'" [Slot, from footballer to successful coach: 'Arne was young and a bit stubborn']. NOS.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Cambuur ontslaat Rob Maas". AD.nl (in Dutch). 15 October 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Hulshoff en Slot maken seizoen af als trainers van SC Cambuur" [Hulshoff and Slot finish season as coaches of SC Cambuur]. Cambuur.nl (in Dutch). 5 January 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Cambuur schakelt Utrecht uit na strafschoppen" [Cambuur knocks Utrecht out after penalties]. NOS.nl (in Dutch). 26 January 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Slot assistent Van den Brom bij AZ" [Slot assistant Van den Brom at AZ]. RTL.nl (in Dutch). 28 March 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Assistent Slot komend seizoen nieuwe hoofdtrainer AZ" [Assistant Slot upcoming season new head coach AZ]. NU.nl (in Dutch). 10 December 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  12. ^ Someren, van, Jesse (30 September 2019). "Arne Slot beleeft recordstart bij AZ" [Arne Slot experiences record starts at AZ]. AD.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Gehavend AZ stunt met 1-0 zege bij Napoli" [Damaged AZ stunts with 1–0 win at Napoli]. NOS.nl (in Dutch). 22 October 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  14. ^ "AZ zet trainer Slot direct op straat" [AZ sacks coach Slot immediately]. NOS.nl (in Dutch). 5 December 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  15. ^ "AZ verliest beste trainer in geschiedenis qua puntengemiddelde" [AZ loses best coach in history in terms of point average]. AD.nl (in Dutch). 5 December 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Arne Slot volgend seizoen nieuwe hoofdtrainer" [Arne Slot next season new head coach]. Feyenoord.nl (in Dutch). 15 December 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Feyenoord verlengt contract hoofdtrainer Arne Slot" [Feyenoord extends contract head coach Arne Slot]. Feyenoord.nl (in Dutch). 25 February 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Feyenoord na 20 jaar terug in Europese finale • Roma tegenstander op 25 mei in Tirana" [Feyenoord back in a European final after 20 years • Roma opponent on May 25 in Tirana] (in Dutch). 6 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  19. ^ "Rinus Michels Award for Arne Slot". Feyenoord. 26 June 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  20. ^ a b "Slot onderscheiden met Rinus Michels Award, oeuvreprijs voor Van Marwijk" [Slot awarded with Rinus Michels Award, oeuvre award for Van Marwijk]. nos.nl (in Dutch). 26 June 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  21. ^ "Trainer Slot verlengt contract bij Feyenoord tot 2025" [Coach Slot extends contract at Feyenoord until 2025]. NOS.nl (in Dutch). 24 July 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  22. ^ "Slechts één Nederlandse ploeg boekte ooit grotere zege in achtste finales Europa dan Feyenoord" [Just one Dutch team has ever achieved a bigger victory in the round of 16 in Europe than Feyenoord]. AD.nl (in Dutch). 17 March 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  23. ^ "Slot: 'Ongelofelijk veel goede dingen gezien'" [Slot: 'Saw an incredible amount of good things']. Feyenoord.nl (in Dutch). 17 March 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  24. ^ a b "Feyenoord verslaat Go Ahead en is na zes jaar weer kampioen van Nederland" [Feyenoord beats Go Ahead and is champions of the Netherlands after six years] (in Dutch). 14 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  25. ^ Gouka, Mikos (25 May 2023). "Arne Slot blijft bij Feyenoord: 'Mijn wens is door te bouwen op de basis die afgelopen seizoenen is gelegd'" [Arne Slot stays at Feyenoord: 'My wish is to continue building on the foundation which has been laid during previous seasons']. AD.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  26. ^ Dorsett, Rob; Thomas, Lyall (26 May 2023). "Arne Slot: Feyenoord head coach staying with Dutch club amid links to Tottenham". SkySports.com. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  27. ^ "Arne Slot legt uit waarom hij een nieuw contract tekent bij Feyenoord" [Arne Slot explains why he signs a new contract at Feyenoord]. VI.nl (in Dutch). 26 May 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  28. ^ a b "Slot wint voor tweede keer Rinus Michels Award en is klaar voor nieuwe seizoen" [Slot wins Rinus Michels Award for second time en is ready for new season]. NOS.nl (in Dutch). 26 June 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  29. ^ "Dit Feyenoord-record evenaart Slot tijdens het duel met AS Roma" [Slot equals this Feyenoord record during the match against AS Roma]. VI.nl (in Dutch). 21 February 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  30. ^ "'Arne Slot: de trainer die 'sleeping giant' Feyenoord wakker maakte'" (in Dutch). Voetbalzone.nl. 28 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  31. ^ Killen, Stephen (19 May 2024). "Arne Slot sent Liverpool message as final verdict given before Jurgen Klopp switch". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  32. ^ Vurley, Callum (26 April 2024). "Arne Slot to be named new Liverpool boss after agreeing deal to replace Klopp". talkSPORT. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  33. ^ "Arne Slot confirms he will replace Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss". BBC Sport. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  34. ^ "Arne Slot to become Liverpool FC's new head coach - Liverpool FC". www.liverpoolfc.com. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  35. ^ "Ipswich 0–2 Liverpool: How Arne Slot's Liverpool machine kicked into gear". BBC Sport. 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  36. ^ "Slot becomes first Liverpool manager this century to achieve Premier League feat". talkSPORT. 17 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  37. ^ "Salah goal and Diaz brace ease Liverpool past Man Utd". www.premierleague.com. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  38. ^ Pearce, James. "Arne Slot 'proud' of record-breaking Liverpool start". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  39. ^ Doyle, Ian (13 November 2024). "What Liverpool fans 'weren't even bothered' about has delighted Arne Slot". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  40. ^ Prenderville, Liam (26 April 2024). "Arne Slot's wife and family life ahead of move to Liverpool as talks continue". Liverpool.com.
  41. ^ "SC Cambuur Leeuwarden - Results and Fixtures". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  42. ^ "AZ Alkmaar: Matches". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  43. ^ "Feyenoord Rotterdam - Results and Fixtures". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  44. ^ "Liverpool - Results and Fixtures". Soccerway. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  45. ^ "Als rook is opgetrokken, wint Feyenoord bekerfinale van NEC" [When the smoke is cleared, Feyenoord wins the cup final against NEC]. NOS.nl (in Dutch). 21 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  46. ^ Honeyman, Sam (25 May 2022). "Roma 1–0 Feyenoord: Zaniolo strike wins the first Europa Conference League final". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
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