 "Arne Slot joins Liverpool after a three-year spell with Dutch club Feyenoord, whom he helped win the Eredivisie in 2023. Reuters")
Liverpool FC officially confirmed Arne Slot as their new manager on Monday after Jurgen Klopp bid goodbye to the Anfield with a victory in the Premier League.
Klopp’s nine-year reign as manager, during which they won the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League the following year, came to an end on the final matchday of the 2023-24 season.
The German bid an emotional farewell to a packed Anfield on Sunday evening after Liverpool finished third on the Premier League table with a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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Slot joins the Reds after a three-year spell with Feyenoord in the Eredivisie and the 45-year-old Dutchman will officially assume office on 1 June subject to a work permit.
While Liverpool didn’t disclose the full tenure of Slot’s contract, British broadcaster Sky Sports reported it to be a three-year deal.
According to the BBC, Liverpool have agreed to a compensation deal of up to £9.4 million ($12 million) in the contract signed by Slot, who had confirmed Anfield as his next destination on Friday during a press conference ahead of his final game in charge of Feyenoord.
Klopp announced his departure in January and took charge of his final game on Sunday, a 2-0 win against Wolves.
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In his final speech to the Anfield crowd, the German urged fans to throw their full support behind Slot.
“You welcome the new manager like you welcomed me,” he said. “You go all-in from the first day. And you keep believing and you push the team.”
Slot moved to Feyenoord in 2021 after impressing in his first managerial role at AZ Alkmaar.
He led the Dutch giants to the inaugural Europa Conference League final at the end of his first season. They narrowly lost 1-0 to Jose Mourinho’s Roma.
Slot then delivered just a second league title in 24 years to De Kuip last season before penning a new three-year deal.
“You can see people are genuinely sorry you are leaving,” he said on Friday.
“You can say that with words, but when you see it in people’s faces, it affects me quite a lot.”
Feyenoord have enjoyed a strong season, winning the Dutch Cup and coming second to an all-conquering PSV Eindhoven side.
Liverpool captain and fellow Dutchman Virgil van Dijk has hailed Slot’s attacking mindset, saying it would suit the philosophy at Anfield.
Initially, Bayer Leverkusen boss and former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso was the favourite to succeed Klopp at Anfield.
However, Alonso has committed to staying at Leverkusen after leading them to a first-ever Bundesliga title.
Liverpool won the League Cup in Klopp’s final season in charge and finished third in the Premier League, qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
With AFP inputs