Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is happy at Anfield and says he could see himself being at the helm for a substantial stint, just like his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp.
The German, Slot said on Friday, will be in attendance for the Liverpool vs Crystal Palace game this weekend, after which Virgil van Dijk will lift the Premier League trophy. And Klopp, who spent nine years at the club, will return a hero having set the team up for future success under Slot.
“I could see it, yes,” Slot said when he was asked if he could foresee himself staying on Merseyside for a similar period of time to Klopp. He was speaking to outlets including the Daily Mirror, which also adds he will be rewarded with a bumper deal for this season’s efforts. “This club has a history of having managers for a long time, and we also saw that with Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson.
“I think, in general, in football and in life, there is not so much patience. Maybe England is an exception. So I could see myself working here for a long time because it’s a great club to work for and I’m really happy over here.”
Having won the Premier League title in his first season in charge, Slot is now plotting a big summer in the transfer market to push ahead and collect more silverware. And Slot believes Reds owner Fenway Sports Group (FSG) likes continuity.
He also spoke about the faith FSG has shown in the manager of their Major League Baseball team, the Boston Red Sox. “Alex Cora is the name,” Slot said.
(Image: beIN Sports)
“I think he finished last in the first two seasons and he is still there. It is a combination of the history of the club and how the ownership works.
“If there is ever a club where you can work for multiple years, it will probably be Liverpool.”
Cora won the World Series in his first-ever season in charge of the Red Sox in 2018. But in the five years since (he was not in charge for the 2020 season), his team has only reached the post-season play-offs once.
“It is kind of arrogant to say it if you have only been here a year, that you will be here for nine years,” Slot said. “I don’t think it will be enough if after five years I say: ‘Do remember that in my first year I won the league title?’.
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“Maybe it is different in the modern era and compared to other clubs, but the reason Pep (Guardiola) is there for nine years and Jurgen was here for nine years is that they both won a lot as well. Maybe that is not THE reason, but it is a reason.”
This week, after parting ways with Francesco Farioli, Ajax was linked with a move for Slot’s assistant, John Heitinga. Jordan Henderson’s side somehow missed out on the Eredivisie title having been nine points clear with a month to go.
Slot smiled and added: “If Ajax would be smart, they would consider [Heitinga]. He is ready to take on a job like that. If John is smart, he would stay one more season.”
