Arne Slot’s thoughts after being sacked by Liverpool as Andoni Iraola key | Football | Sport

Arne Slot was left blindsided after being sacked by Liverpool. Former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has emerged as the frontrunner to take control at Anfield following Slot’s exit. The timing is significant as his availability has influenced the decision to end Slot’s tenure prematurely. The Liverpool owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), described it as a “difficult decision” but took action following a review at the conclusion of the 2025/26 campaign.

Slot secured the title in his inaugural year at the helm but failed to maintain those standards during last season despite the club investing nearly £450million on fresh talent. Liverpool barely scraped into the Champions League spots and supporters began to turn against Slot despite his remarkably successful debut year. Slot even stated publicly that he was preparing for next season, was drawing up transfer strategies and had discussed the club’s pre-season arrangements.

While nothing in football could truly be deemed a shock, it’s reasonable to suggest that he didn’t anticipate the announcement before the club revealed it publicly on Saturday. Moreover, the club may have passed on fan favourite Xabi Alonso to prevent Chelsea securing his services had they genuinely been determined to dismiss Slot earlier this month.

Iraola has performed magnificently at Bournemouth, guiding them into European competition before opting to depart the club upon the expiry of his contract. The Spaniard had attracted interest from Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan, meaning Liverpool could ill afford to delay, and there is also a compelling connection with Iraola.

Ultimately, the call to dismiss Slot was taken by Michael Edwards, FSG’s chief executive, and Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s sporting director. Hughes served as technical director at Bournemouth during Iraola’s appointment and is well acquainted with the 43-year-old. Iraola is widely regarded for his attacking, attractive brand of football.

Liverpool supporters had grown disillusioned with Slot and his approach, yet the Dutchman delivered a remarkable debut campaign, clinching the title. Critics have suggested he triumphed on the back of former manager Jurgen Klopp‘s squad, though in reality the side had finished third and fifth in the preceding two seasons.

Slot arrived and delivered silverware, yet was acutely aware that a squad overhaul was necessary. Had his two seasons unfolded in reverse order, he would still be regarded as a hero on the Kop. Instead, Slot triumphed in his first year with minimal changes to the squad, before the club invested heavily in Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.

The new arrivals required time to bed in, while Isak was hampered by injury. Off the pitch, the club was struck by tragedy following the death of Diogo Jota, which left the entire football community in a state of shock. Slot encountered difficulties with Mo Salah, though the pair parted on amicable terms, with the Egyptian showing signs of decline. Nevertheless, it proved a significant distraction.

The club now acknowledges that a period of transition lies ahead and has opted to pursue a different direction from Slot. In truth, that campaign could have served as Slot’s foundation year, establishing momentum for a successful second season. The expectation is that supporters will remember the excellent job he managed overall.

Slot still has 12 months remaining on his Liverpool contract and is consequently under no pressure to return to management immediately given the compensation he is owed, but will now consider his options moving forward.