A senior figure with Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) has claimed that the decision to relieve Arne Slot of his duties at Anfield was taken ‘reluctantly’.
Despite widespread reports in recent weeks that the hierarchy would continue to back the 47-year-old, it was confirmed on Saturday that the club had parted ways with the head coach after two seasons in charge.
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The Dutchman was said to have been ‘surprised’ upon being informed two days ago that his services were no longer required on Merseyside, having ultimately paid the price for a hugely disapponting 2025/26 campaign in which team slumped to a fifth-place finish.
Why Liverpool ‘reluctantly’ sacked Arne Slot
In a report for The Athletic, James Pearce detailed that Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes and FSG’s CEO of Football Michael Edwards decided to act out of fear that ‘things would quickly turn toxic’ if they stuck with Slot and made a slow start to next season.
There was also a worry that being compelled to pull the trigger in the autumn would make it harded to find a ‘suitable successor’ than acting now to bring in their desired appointment.
One senior FSG figure spoke of how the Reds’ lifeless performances at home ultimately prompted the club to make a difficult decision, saying: “The emotion was just sucked out of Anfield. There was no intensity. We looked like a team without an identity… It’s a decision we didn’t want to make, but one we ultimately concluded we reluctantly had to.”
(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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FSG had wanted to back Slot, but the time was right for a change
Despite the accusations from Dutch pundit Marcel van der Kraan that Liverpool have become a ‘hire and fire club’ by sacking Slot just a year after winning the Premier League, this testimony from the Anfield hierarchy illustrates that the powerbrokers had sought to back him for as long as possible.
We’re convinced that, had the Reds’ situation been replicated at somewhere like Chelsea or Manchester United, the 47-year-old would’ve been given the bullet much sooner, considering how quickly those clubs have dispensed with head coaches in recent years.
The rebellious atmosphere at Anfield in the lacklustre 1-1 draw against the Blues last month ultimately felt like the point of no return for the Dutchman – when even match-going supporters had seemingly turned on him, it was always going to be near-impossible for him to win back people’s trust.
We believe that FSG have done the right thing in relieving Slot of his duties now rather than waiting any longer, so that Liverpool can hopefully appoint a successor quickly and have them in situ for the start of the transfer window and for pre-season in a few weeks’ time.
The decision to part ways with the 47-year-old feels right, as does the timing, but he goes with our appreciation for delivering the Premier League title last year and handling the tragic loss of Diogo Jota with the utmost grace and dignity.
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