Liverpool and manager Arne Slot have decided to part ways after two seasons together. During his first season, Liverpool won the league, but they struggled in 2025, finishing fifth.
“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,” Liverpool said in a statement. “At the same time, we have collectively come to the conclusion that change is necessary in order for the club to keep moving forward. As such, we can only wish Arne well in the next stage of his coaching career, with our expectation being that he will continue to be successful.”
The 2025 season was one of disappointment for Slot and Liverpool. They finished with no silverware and barely qualified for the Champions League. On top of that, they finished with only 60 points, which is their lowest total since 2015.
When it comes to their losses, they also lost 19 games across all competitions, including a period in which they lost 9 of 12. Those games included seven losses by three or more goals and seven without scoring a single goal.
In addition to the bad losses, there was a lack of identity in Anfield. Slot implemented a much more passive style of play than Liverpool fans had been accustomed to under Jurgen Klopp. They gave up a lot of opportunities, and when that was paired with the general lack of development from their players, everyone noticed, including fans and opponents.
What’s Next
With Slot out of the picture, Liverpool is back on the search for a new manager, just like they were going into the 2024 season.
Because of the passivity of Slot and their reputation as an attacking team, the club is looking for a manager with a more aggressive attacking style. Andoni Iraola, the favorite to take over, is coming off a great season in which he led Bournemouth to a sixth-place finish in the league and their first Europa League qualification in history.
There are several reasons Iraola is the favorite. Liverpool is looking for an attacking coach, and that is exactly what Iraola did at Bournemouth. On top of that, the fact that Iraola is a free agent means that he can step in right away when he signs. The cherry on top is that he has a great relationship with Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes.
What makes it even more likely that Iraola is Liverpool’s man is the rumor that Liverpool was considering him back in 2022, when they were considering parting ways with Jurgen Klopp. At the time, Iraola was at Rayo Vallecano, but they still considered him to be a rising star. Now he has proven himself in the Premier League.
Liverpool clearly wants to make some changes going into next season. They have a talented roster from top to bottom; now they just need their manager to bring out the best in their players.
Leave a Reply