Arne Slot has been appointed manager of Liverpool, the Premier League team announced on Monday, taking over for the departing Jurgen Klopp.
Following the 45-year-old’s identification as the man to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, the Reds and the Dutch club reached an agreement in April for a compensation deal valued at £9.4 million.
After agreeing to a long-term deal with the six-time European Cup winner and 19-time English champion, Slot is assuming one of the biggest roles in soccer.
Following in Klopp’s footsteps will make his task even more challenging, as he ended Liverpool’s 30-year Premier League title drought in 2020 and won every major trophy during his tenure at Anfield.
The 45-year-old Slot comes in with a winning record of his own after leading Feyenoord to the Dutch title last year and following that up with the Dutch Cup this season.
After confirming in April that he was in talks with Liverpool and then announcing last week that he would be Klopp’s successor, Slot’s appointment had been anticipated for some time.
When he announced in January that he would be stepping down at the end of the season, Klopp shocked the soccer community. For over eight years, the German manager at Liverpool became one of the best of his generation.
He broke Manchester City’s two-year reign as Premier League champion by winning the title after winning the Champions League in 2019.
Klopp went on to win the English League Cup and FA Cup in 2022 and departed with one final trophy when guiding Liverpool to another 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 League campaigns.
Its former sporting director, Michael Edwards, spearheaded the search after rejoining the club’s American owners, Fenway Sports Group, as an executive in football in March.
In charge of bringing in elite players like Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, and Mohamed Salah, Edwards played a significant role in Klopp’s success.
Since he placed his trust in Slot, Liverpool supporters can only hope he is as good at spotting coaching potential. After spending time with AZ Alkmaar, Slot became the Feyenoord coach in 2021.
Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso had been a leading contender for the job until he announced in March he would be staying at Bayern Leverkusen after its unbeaten run to the German title.
Among the other possible candidates was Ruben Amorim, the coach of Sporting Lisbon.
