Arne Slot has said all modern coaches are inspired by Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp as he prepares to begin his reign at Liverpool.
Slot has been named as Klopp’s successor at Liverpool after the German’s decision to step down at Anfield after nine decorated seasons. The former impressed the Reds’ recruitment team during spells in the Eredivisie with AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord, where he won the Dutch title with the latter in 2022-23.
Slot’s high-intensity football is viewed as an ideal replacement for Klopp as Liverpool look to transition into a new era. Asked whether there are stylistic similarities between himself and his predecessor, Slot said all modern coaches take inspiration from the world’s best managers.
“I think there are and I think that is also one of the reasons why I came in, because I think the way Liverpool ‘scouted’ me – I’m not sure if that is the right word to use – they were looking for, not the exact same type, but I think when something has been successful [with] a certain way of playing you would like to extend this or to go on with this. This is probably one of the reasons they came to me as well,” Slot told the club’s official website.
“Yeah, it is my style but I think it is the style of many modern coaches at the moment: we were all a bit inspired because of the rivalry between City and Liverpool.
“We were all inspired by Guardiola and Klopp and I think at a big club, which I worked in in Feyenoord as well, it is probably the only style you can play – to have the ball a lot, to have a lot of energy, and I think also now there are comparisons between the club I left behind and the club I am going to work for now.
“Both [sets of] fans love to see a team that wants to do everything to win a game and if things are tough they try to do everything to turn the game around and I think that has been done by Liverpool many times and I think that has been done by my former side Feyenoord many times as well.”
Slot turned down interest from the Premier League in favour of remaining in Rotterdam 12 months ago but admitted the chance to take over Liverpool was too good to turn down.
“The first time you hear that Liverpool is interested in you, you have to keep it between me and my wife. I always knew that it had to be a fantastic club where I would leave Feyenoord for, and this was Liverpool and the league as well.
“I think it was a year ago that I was in the interest of a few Premier League clubs as well but I decided to extend at Feyenoord with the idea of staying there two more seasons.
But after a year, Liverpool came along and – like I just told you about the rivalry between City and Liverpool and the many games we as football fans saw – it wasn’t a difficult choice to make. Although, like I said, I was really happy at Feyenoord, the way I work there with the fans, with the staff, with the players. But this was the possibility I had to take.”
