Liverpool have parted ways with head coach Arne Slot with immediate effect, the club confirmed on Saturday, May 30, 2026, ending the Dutchman’s tenure after two seasons at Anfield. Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp in June 2024, delivered Liverpool’s 20th league title in his debut campaign and was named LMA Manager of the Year for 2024-25 after also guiding the team to the Carabao Cup final and the Champions League last 16. However, his second season deteriorated into what the club described as a “desperate scramble for Champions League qualification,” with Liverpool ultimately finishing fifth in the Premier League, 25 points behind champions Arsenal. The Reds also failed to win a domestic cup and exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage in 2025-26, marking a dramatic downturn from the previous year’s title defence.
In a statement, Liverpool’s ownership called the decision “difficult” but said “change is necessary in order for the club to keep moving forward”. The club praised Slot’s contribution as “significant, meaningful and successful,” noting that he “does not merely accept responsibility, he embraces it,” and highlighted his work ethic and leadership during a season of “considerable challenges and burdens”. The statement stressed that Slot’s legacy remains intact, citing his role in delivering a 20th league title and securing Champions League qualification for a second successive season. The process to appoint a successor is already under way, with media reports linking Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola to the role after he guided the Cherries to sixth and Europa League qualification for the first time. Other names mentioned include Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness and Lens’ Pierre Sage, though Iraola is described as the early frontrunner and is reportedly in talks with Bayer Leverkusen as well.
Slot’s dismissal comes despite earlier briefings from within Anfield that he would be given next season to improve matters, with “credit in the bank” from winning the title in his first year. The club spent around £440m reshaping the squad last summer, breaking the British transfer record twice, but results fell well short of expectations, with 16 defeats across all competitions. Liverpool’s owners said a full end-of-season review had been planned by FSG’s football chief Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes, with Slot’s position set to be assessed alongside the wider direction of the project. The club added that a new manager is needed to deliver a “more front-foot, aggressive and urgent style of football” to give Liverpool the best chance of moving forward.
