ไทย
English
中國人
Former Liverpool boss Arne Slot has made his intentions clear, stating he will only pursue a return to club management after explaining why he declined the "great honor" of being considered for the Netherlands men's national team role.
Slot has been without a job since being abruptly dismissed by the Reds at the end of May following a disappointing fifth-place finish. The Dutch tactician had guided Liverpool to the club's second-ever Premier League title just a year prior, and remains one of the most coveted available managers on the market.
Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ahli were reportedly willing to hand Slot a lucrative deal to succeed the recently departed Matthias Jaissle, only for the 47-year-old to reject the offer. It has since been confirmed that the Dutch football association also received a rejection from their fellow countryman.
"Over the past few weeks, and especially in recent days, various reports have surfaced regarding the vacancy with the Netherlands national team, suggesting I had withdrawn from the process following lengthy negotiations, including over salary and contract length. That speculation is inaccurate. We simply never reached that point in the discussions," Slot stated in a release published by VI.
The former Feyenoord manager acknowledged that contact had been made with the national team as they searched for a new coach following Ronald Koeman's post-World Cup departure. "That is only natural when you are approached for a significant position and want to better understand the role and its expectations," Slot explained. However, his focus remains firmly on club football.
Slot Sets Out Club Path
"At this point in my career, I'd rather be out on the training ground with my players every single day. That simply isn't possible in the same way with a national team," Slot explained.
Between major tournaments, the nature of coaching a national side differs vastly from the demands of club football. Even with the newly expanded international window this coming autumn, national team coaches get no more than four back-to-back matches with their players at any given time, while club managers work alongside their squads for months and across a large volume of fixtures.
Slot described this preference for club management over international duty as "why I chose not to continue the discussions and not to enter into negotiations about what a potential contract might look like."
"I have tremendous respect for the national team and for the KNVB," he was quick to add, "and I can only speak positively about the professional way in which the conversations were conducted that week. For now, I believe that club football still has a great deal to offer me.
"It would be a tremendous honor to represent my country as national team manager someday. It just wasn't the right moment for me."
Which Clubs Could Arne Slot Take Over?
Enable functional cookies to see this feature.
There are currently no vacant managerial posts in the Premier League for Slot to step into, but it is only a matter of time before some changes occur. Nine different clubs — nearly half the division — have seen a change in the dugout over the summer, and that turnover is expected to continue once the season gets underway.
Beyond England, clubs from Germany and Italy have reportedly made contact with Slot, while there was briefly speculation about a return to the Dutch Eredivisie even before his Liverpool exit had been officially confirmed. Ajax were also turned away.
Slot's final campaign at Liverpool cast something of a shadow, but a broader assessment of his managerial career tells a more impressive story — a double league title winner in two separate countries with clubs that were not the undisputed dominant forces in their respective divisions.