Maha Christopher
Premier League champions Liverpool have sacked head coach Arne Slot after two seasons at the club.
According to BBC, the Dutch manager was relieved of his duties despite leading Liverpool to their 20th English league title during his debut season in charge.
However, the Reds endured a disappointing second campaign, finishing fifth in the Premier League and missing out on the title race.
Recently departed Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Slot at Anfield.
In a statement, Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, praised Slot’s contribution to the club and acknowledged the difficulty of the decision.
“That this was a difficult decision for us to make as a club goes without saying. The contribution Arne has made to Liverpool FC in the time that he has been with us has been significant, meaningful and, most importantly of all to supporters and ourselves, successful,” the statement read.
The club added that Slot’s tenure was characterised by professionalism, diligence, and strong leadership.
The decision was reportedly made by Liverpool chief executive Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes after a review of the season.
Although the club had repeatedly maintained throughout the campaign that a managerial change was not under consideration, Liverpool’s hierarchy concluded that the team required a more aggressive and proactive style of football moving forward.
Slot was appointed Liverpool manager in 2024 following the departure of Jurgen Klopp, who ended his nine year spell at the club after stepping down at the end of the 2023/24 season.
His departure brings an end to a two year tenure that included a league title but ultimately fell short of the club’s long term expectations.
