File picture of Arne Slot coaching Dutch side Feyenoord. Slot replaces Jurgen Klopp as manager of Liverpool
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Arne Slot will take on one of the most daunting challenges in football by replacing Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager.
Slot was confirmed on Monday after he signed a long-term contract with the six-time European Cup winner and 19-time English champion.
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He will follow in the footsteps of an Anfield icon in Klopp, who ended Liverpool’s 30-year wait for the English title in 2020 and won a full set of major trophies in his time at the Merseyside club.
Slot comes in with a winning record of his own after leading Feyenoord to the Dutch title last year and following that with the Dutch Cup this season.
He will formally take up his role on June 1 and his contract runs through to 2027, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the details of the contract have not been made public.
Slot’s appointment was expected for some time, as the 45-year-old Dutchman said he was in talks with Liverpool in April and announced he would be Klopp’s successor last week.
Slot has coached Feyenoord since 2021 and was previously with AZ Alkmaar. His work with both clubs has seen his reputation rise for his coaching methods and achievements in a short time.
Klopp’s legacy
Klopp stunned the world of football when he declared in January he would step down at the end of the season. The German established himself as one of the finest managers of his generation.
He won the Champions League in 2019, the Premier League in 2020, and the English League Cup and FA Cup in 2022. He departed with one final trophy, the League Cup in February.
Under his watch, Liverpool also won the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup and was a beaten finalist in two more Champions Leagues.
Liverpool took its time identifying Klopp’s successor.
Michael Edwards, its former sporting director, returned in March as chief executive of football for the club’s American owners Fenway Sports Group and led the search.
Edwards was a key figure in Klopp’s success — overseeing the signings of star players like Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker, and Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool fans can only hope he is as adept at identifying coaching talent after putting his faith in Slot.
Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso was a leading contender for the job until he announced in March he was staying at Bayern Leverkusen after its unbeaten run to the German title.
Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim was among other potential candidates.
