Importance Score: 62 / 100 🔴
Arne Slot’s Path: From Guardiola Disciple to Liverpool’s Head Coach
Arne Slot, the new Liverpool head coach, succeeding Jürgen Klopp, has an intriguing history. The Dutchman, now managing one of the most storied clubs in English football, was once deeply influenced by Pep Guardiola’s tactical innovations. As he begins his tenure, the methods that brought him success in the Eredivisie will be put to the test in the Premier League. This is the story of how Slot rose to prominence, shaped by influences both tactical and familial.
Early Influences and Tactical Foundations
Henk de Jong, who gave Arne Slot his first coaching break as an assistant at Cambuur, recalls Slot’s admiration for Pep Guardiola. “He was always talking about Pep,” De Jong reminisces. “We were sometimes laughing at him.” Slot would use his extensive video collection of Bayern Munich and Barcelona matches to illustrate tactical concepts. “‘Pep again, eh?’ we would say. He had videos of all his games, and we would sit and listen to him talk about what he was seeing.”
De Jong fondly recounts Slot’s early coaching steps. In 2014-15, as Guardiola was redefining football with his success at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Slot, a young and ambitious coach of 36, saw Guardiola as a benchmark. Now, as Liverpool’s head coach, the parallels and contrasts between Slot and his former idol will be closely watched.
From Player to Aspiring Coach
After a modest playing career in the Netherlands, Slot found himself coaching youth players at his childhood club, PEC Zwolle, a top-tier team. “I liked his style,” De Jong says of Slot the player. “He was not fast…” likely a polite way of saying “slow”. “But he played as a No 10, so he had to think quickly.” De Jong learned of Slot’s coaching potential through their club director and considered him for an assistant role. However, De Jong already had an assistant.
Tactical Debates and Philosophical Discussions
During Cambuur’s time in the Eredivisie, Slot’s tenure led to lively tactical discussions, often referencing Johan Cruyff and, of course, Guardiola. “Sometimes it wasn’t easy for me with two assistants who were geniuses,” De Jong admits. “They were both thinking at such a high level, but they did not always have the same idea of what to do. They never had [serious] problems, but I had to manage that.”
Ascent Through Dutch Football
Following De Jong’s departure, Slot was promoted to co-caretaker manager before ultimately moving to AZ Alkmaar. His controversial switch to Feyenoord drew significant attention, culminating in a league title victory in 2023 against PSV and Ajax. According to De Jong, Slot’s football philosophy will forever contain a slice of Cambuur.
The Influence of Cambuur’s Culture
“Cambuur is a club where if you don’t play well, you know about it from the supporters,” De Jong explains. “The fans are hard-working people, like in Rotterdam and Liverpool… You have to work hard for your fans, you have to be special. So I always told him: ‘You have to show good football. Don’t play like a grey mouse! No one is coming to see that. Play special football!’”
Early Life and a Footballing Family
Bert Snippe, from Slot’s hometown of Bergentheim, recalls how Slot’s upbringing shaped him. Slot’s father, Arend, a talented non-league player and coach, involved young Arne in football from an early age. “In 1978-79 I was 15, and Arend invited me to play in the first team,” Snippe says. “I played for four years under Arend, and his training was always intensive, at full speed, and at the end, we would play 11 v 11.”
Early Observations and Tactical Acumen
Arend Slot shared that young Arne would accompany him to matches, absorbing every detail. “When I was a coach, my wife wanted a bit of peace and quiet on a Saturday afternoon,” Arend recounted. “So I took Arne along to my games… He wanted to know everything I said. He was only six and seven years old at that time. He even sat next to me in the dugout.”
A Child Prodigy on the Sidelines
Snippe remembers Arne as an exceptional young observer. “Every Saturday Arne went with his dad to watch the game and would sit on the bench next to his dad, to watch and listen to how his dad coached his team.” Growing up immersed in tactical discussions, Slot developed a keen footballing mind from an early age. This tactical education instilled a deep understanding of the game.
Snippe didn’t just observe young Arne but coached him to his first national success. “In 1988, the KNVB [the Netherlands’ football association] introduced a 4v4 small-sided tournament. The club asked me to look after the 10-year-olds and Arne was one of the four. The team won three tournaments and their prize was a week’s stay at the KNVB training centre.”
Father and Son: Comparing Football Talents
Snippe assesses the playing abilities of both father and son. “Arend scored a lot of goals for Bergentheim, was faster as a player, and his speciality was free-kicks… Arne was as good as any player, but when he had the ball, he always played to the right man. And he was always like a player-coach, just as his dad was.”
Ultimately, Arend acknowledged Arne’s superior achievements. When asked if he saw himself in Arne, Arend replied, “Yes, his winning mentality.”
Arend’s wife and Arne’s mother, Fennie, interjected, “Well, you had the hump for almost a week if you had lost. Arne never has the hump.’’
“Well, [the reason] is obvious,” Arend responded. “He hardly ever loses …’’