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Coach Arne Slot during the Dutch premier league match between Feyenoord and Ajax at Feyenoord Stadion de Kuip on January 22, 2023 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. AFP |
Arne Slot, the Feyenoord coach who confirmed Friday he would be leading Liverpool from next season, is known as a passionate leader who gets the most out of his players and demands a strong work ethic.
A fan of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Slot was a
slick forward as a player with a reputation as an accurate passer of the ball —
so much so he has a move named after him.
Here are five key facts about the 45-year-old poised to
replace Jurgen Klopp at Anfield:
Arne Slot Pass
Slot joined PEC Zwolle as a 17-year-old striker known more
for his technique than his running.
“Many people thought Arne was lazy and phlegmatic. But that
wasn’t right. You just shouldn’t expect sliding tackles,” his former coach Jan
Everse told public broadcaster NOS.
But “silky” and “cultured” are words often used to describe
his playing style, and PEC Zwolle still employ the “Arne Slot Pass”, says
former teammate Bram van Polen.
The Arne Slot Pass is a slight deflection from a forward
with his back to the goal which splits the defence and releases a winger
running off the ball.
Dressing room style
Liverpool fans looking for clues to their potential future
boss’s style have started sharing a rousing team talk he gave Feyenoord players
after a historic victory at Ajax.
“The reason why we are where we are today is because you
work your ass off every single day. And that’s the reason you could beat this
team in their own stadium, without even our fans being here,” he told the
dressing room.
“But it’s only a win. It’s a big win, but we have a bigger
goal this season than winning for the first time in 17 years in Amsterdam,”
Slot said to cheers from the team.
Spurs links
The interest from Liverpool is not the first time Slot has
attracted Premier League clubs. He was heavily linked with Tottenham during
their troubled search to replace Antonio Conte in May 2023.
As Spurs were reportedly about to seal the deal, Slot
abruptly walked out, signing a new contract instead with Rotterdam-based
Feyenoord.
“The decisive factor was playing in the Champions League…
the fact that I am having a great time privately and being able to build on the
past two seasons,” said Slot at the time.
Feyenoord’s Champions League campaign got off to a strong
start with a 2-0 home win against Celtic, but two defeats against Atletico
Madrid sealed their fate, and they finished third in Group E.
Guardiola fan
The British press have already dubbed Slot the “Dutch Pep
Guardiola” for the high-pressing attacking style much beloved by Feyenoord
fans.
Slot certainly admires the legendary Spanish coach of
Manchester City, who would be among his top rivals if he did join Liverpool.
In several interviews, he has cited Guardiola as his role
model, telling the Algemeene Dagblad (AD) last year: “Players always look very
good under him. And the same players seem worse with managers before and after
him.”
Run, run, run
As a coach, Slot is known for a fierce work ethic, driving
to Feyenoord’s camp before dawn, watching every training session, and
obsessively studying future opponents.
“I say to Feyenoord: you have to ensure that you create four
times as many chances as your opponent and work twice as hard,” Slot told the
AD.
“In all the matches that we have won this season, we see in
the data that we have run 20 or 30 percent more than the opposition. Matches we
didn’t win: only three or six percent more.”
“Every training, every meeting must be spot on,” he said.
This has led to results on the pitch at Feyenoord, seen as a
team with physically fit players who work hard for each other and often score
late goals.
Slot appears to have cultivated this work ethic as a
manager, rather than when he was a player.
“He wants his boys to be fit… he didn’t have that before. I
don’t know if he has ever seen the inside of a weights room,” said former
teammate Van Polen.
AFP