It seemed like the end of a golden era. A void difficult to fill. In May 2024, Jürgen Klopp was leaving Anfield. The coach who had taken Liverpool out of mediocrity and returned it to the continental elite, with a Premier and a Champions League under his arm, among other titles, was leaving. The farewell of the charismatic German coach predicted a difficult near future on Merseyside, especially for his replacement: the unknown to the general public Arne Slot. But the Dutchman has not only maintained the same style of his predecessor, that heavy metal that is unruly for rivals, but he has also provided other records to a team that is the leader of the Premier and the Champions League.
An English transatlantic, recently the executioner of Real Madrid and Manchester City, who must face today in Montilivi (6:45 p.m.), a Girona team forced to win to stay alive in the European tournament. “It is a team that dominates all the concepts of the game. But in football everything is possible. We have to compete with our best version. It is possible that we will not even win, but it will serve as recognition of our game. Let everyone be proud,” said Girona coach Míchel yesterday.
“Perhaps not even the best version will be enough, but let it serve as recognition for our game,” says Míchel.
The dynamism, the pressure, the high intensity, the ability to win duels, the aerial game, the defense of the area or the speed to create chances were some of the virtues that Vallecas highlighted over what is perhaps the most fit team of Europe. Furthermore, the English arrive rested after the postponement of the Liverpool derby last Saturday. The Reds have only lost one game this season, in September against Nottingham Forest (0-1), in addition to earning two draws, and in the Champions League they have had a total of wins, with 12 goals for and one against. A perfectly oiled machine that almost has the same squad as last year and that has recovered the best versions of Salah and Van Dijk, both in a second youth.
The architect of these results is a coach that no one would have ranked among the best in Europe before the start of the season. Ar-ne Slot!!, Klopp sang at Anfield during his farewell, with the tune of Live is Life by Opus, as if hosting an anonymous person for the fans grid . A few months later, the 46-year-old Dutchman, originally from the small town of Bergentheim, repeatedly hears from his parish the famous song by the Austrian group covered with his name, even in front of his house.
“Girona is competing much better than its results say,” says Arne Slot
An idol now in Liverpool who this year faces his sixth coaching year. Slot had a discreet playing career, always in his country and playing in the center of the field, like other elite coaches such as Guardiola, Flick, Ancelotti, Zidane, Xavi and Alonso. He retired in 2013 and that year he started on the bench as an assistant at modest Zwolle.
Slot had his first opportunity as head coach in 2019. He did not waste it. His AZ Alkmaar was tied on points with the leader, Ajax, when the Eredivisie was canceled due to Covid. The following year he was dismissed, but not because of poor results, but because the club received news that he was negotiating for the following year with Feyenoord, where he ended up being successful. With Rotterdam he won a League (22-23), the entity’s second in the 21st century, and a Cup (23-24). Despite the successes in his country, his name did not appear in the pools to reach Anfield, it only appeared in the offices of a Liverpool that with Slot is once again the fear of Europe, also of Girona.
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