Liverpool head coach Arne Slot didn’t take over from Jurgen Klopp until the summer of 2024, but he was in contact with the German’s assistant, Pep Lijnders, at least once during the campaign —after the Carabao Cup final.
An injury-stricken Liverpool side overcame Chelsea thanks to a Virgil van Dijk header with the Reds fielding youngsters including Bobby Clark, James McConnell and Jayden Danns. And that was a proud moment for Lijnders, who helped bring a lot of those youngsters through to the senior set-up.
“No, we [Feyenoord] played that day, I remember,” Slot told the Reds’ official website when he was asked if he watched Liverpool beat Chelsea in the final of the same competition last February.
“But I think the game was played a bit later than when we played at that moment, so maybe I saw the last parts of it or I saw some highlights. I do remember texting Pepijn after because I knew how much the Academy meant — and still means — for him.
“That for the whole club, but definitely also for him, it was a big moment, that all these Academy players were on the pitch winning a final. So, I do remember texting him after that game and yeah, it was a special day for the club. It’s always a special day if you play a final.”
This weekend, Slot will go to Wembley for the first time with the Liverpool head coach hoping to retain the trophy and win his first piece of silverware at Anfield. The Reds are also near-certain to win the Premier League title at the first time of asking.
(Image: Daniel Kopatsch – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
“What is happening now with Arne, doing the job he is doing… wow, it makes me really grateful,” Lijnders, who has since been fired by Red Bull Salzburg, told the Daily Mail in October. “I feel blessed to see it, the way the club is doing and performing on a really high level. Certain players are flourishing and making the next steps.
“That was the whole idea of us leaving early, so this could happen and the club can continue to grow. I owe Liverpool everything. I owe the fans and players everything. It was my life. For 10 years, it was the only thing I thought about.”
Liverpool.com says: Last season’s Carabao Cup final was a miracle for Liverpool when you look at some of the players who were involved. This time, the starting XI and bench will be much stronger. It would be a big boost for Slot to get over the line in that competition; winning a double, even though Liverpool crashed out of Europe against PSG, would be a superb debut campaign.
