Arne Slot

Arend Martijn Slot was born on 17 September 1978 in Bergentheim, Overijssel, where he was raised. Slot started his football career at amateur side VV Bergentheim. He then moved to FC Zwolle, where he got into the first team as a 17-year-old in 1995. Slot started his professional career struggling with injuries and little playing time under the management of Jan Everse, but eventually became a goal-scoring attacking midfielder in Zwolle. In 2002, FC Zwolle won the Eerste Divisie to return to the Eredivisie after 13 years. Slot moved to NAC Breda in the same year. Under the management of Henk ten Cate, NAC Breda finished fourth in the Eredivisie in Slot's first season, NAC Breda's best league finish since 1956. Slot played his only games in European football in the first round of the UEFA Cup in 2003 as NAC Breda lost 5–0 and 0–1 to Newcastle United. He joined Sparta Rotterdam in the summer of 2007 before returning to FC Zwolle in the Eerste Divisie on a loan deal in 2009, before signing a permanent deal in 2010. FC Zwolle won the Eerste Divisie in 2012 to return to the Eredivisie, where Slot played one final season before retiring as a player. According to teammate Edwin de Graaf, he was "not so fast". Everse believes that despite a lack of physicality, Slot got the most out of his playing career due to his passing and vision.

Early career

According to teammate Bram van Polen, Slot behaved like a coach at PEC Zwolle in his final years as a football player. After retiring from playing in 2013 at PEC Zwolle, Slot moved onto the club's staff, working as a youth coach for a year, before being appointed as an assistant coach of Henk de Jong at Cambuur. After De Jong left the club in 2016, Slot remained an assistant coach at Cambuur under the management of Marcel Keizer and Rob Maas. The club were relegated to the Eerste Divisie after finishing bottom of the Eredivisie in 2016. On 15 October 2016, Slot became interim coach together with Sipke Hulshoff (nl) after Maas was fired. On 5 January 2017, Cambuur announced that Slot and Hulshoff would remain head coaches for the remainder of the season after "excellent results" and a "pleasant way of working". Slot and Hulshoff helped Cambuur climb from 14th to third place in the league, missing out on promotion to the Eredivisie after losing to MVV in the play-offs. In the KNVB Cup, Cambuur reached the semi-finals for the first time in its club history, having knocked out record winners Ajax. The club missed out on the final after losing to AZ on penalties.

AZ Alkmaar

In 2017, Slot left Cambuur to join AZ, working as an assistant to John van den Brom. AZ's technical director Max Huiberts called Slot "experienced, studious, innovative and ambitious". AZ finished third and fourth in the Eredivisie in 2018 and 2019 and lost the 2018 KNVB Cup…

Slot and his wife Mirjam have two children. Mirjam remained in the Netherlands with the two children when Slot joined Liverpool in order to prioritize their education with both sitting exams in 2025.

Player

Zwolle

Eerste Divisie: 2001–02, 2011–12

Manager

Feyenoord

Eredivisie: 2022–23 KNVB Cup: 2023–24 UEFA Conference League runner-up: 2021–22 Liverpool

Premier League: 2024–25 EFL Cup runner-up: 2024–25 Individual

Rinus Michels Award: 2021–22, 2022–23 LMA Manager of the Year: 2024–25 Premier League Manager of the Season: 2024–25 Premier League Manager of the Month: November 2024, August 2025