Liverpool supporters hailed Arne Slot for his heroics in his first Premier League campaign – serenading him with a song given to them by his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp.
The Dutchman has defied pre-season predictions after leading the Reds to the English top flight title during a glittering maiden campaign at Anfield. This incredible feat means the former Feyenoord man has earned has equalled the man he replaced in the hotseat – while putting himself greats of yesteryear in delivering a first championship in front of fans since 1990.
Joining Kenny Dalglish, Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley in the pantheon of greats on Merseyside, his measured and methodical approach to life as head coach have endeared him to the Kop. During the second half of the Reds’ clash against Tottenham, the home crowd heralded his achievements by singing a song in his honor.
Intriguingly, the song – written to the tune of “Life is Life” by Austrian outfit Opus – was previously sung to mark the achievements of Klopp at Anfield. In fact, the charismatic German even implored supporters to instead sing the tune to welcome Slot to the club as he prepared to depart the club last year.
In a memorable moment upon his farewell following his final game in charge, he gave a rousing speech before leading the Kop in song to herald the Dutchman. With the club’s owners watching on in the stands, the ex-Borussia Dortmund helmsman then asked the supporters to give his successor a famous Scouse welcome upon his arrival.
In a moving moment on the pitch following one last victory against Wolves, Klopp asserted: “You welcome the new manager like you welcomed me. You go all-in from the first day. And you keep believing and you push the team,” before leading the crowd in song in a seminal moment.
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“People told me that I turned them from doubters to believers. That’s not true. Believing is an active act: you have to do it yourself. I just said we have to. You did it. That’s a big difference.”
He added: “And nobody tells you now to stop believing. Because this club is in a better moment than ever. Maybe ever – I have to ask Kenny – but since a long time, let me say it like that. We have this wonderful stadium, wonderful training centre, we have you, the superpower of world football.”
Fast forward nearly 12 months and Slot has made history by delivering a second league title in the space of 35 years for the club. Describing his own emotions as he stood on the brink of greatness, the humble hero said: : “I enjoyed it a lot when Feyenoord won the title – but I don’t go crazy.
“It wasn’t like I ran three times around the stadium. I was just very, very happy inside and I shared my emotions with the people around me and the fans. But I will never be the one who is the loudest nor the weirdest in the moment. I’m not like that.”
