Change Is Necessary’: Liverpool Sack Arne Slot After Disastrous Title Defence, Iraola Set to Take Over

Liverpool Sack Arne Slot After Disastrous Title Defence; Iraola Lined Up as Replacement

Liverpool have sacked manager Arne Slot with immediate effect after a calamitous 2025-26 season that saw the club finish fifth in the Premier League, just one year after he delivered the club’s 20th league title. 

The decision was confirmed by the club on Saturday, May 30, 2026, ending Slot’s two-year tenure at Anfield. Fenway Sports Group said the move was “difficult” but “necessary in order for the club to keep moving forward”. 

Slot arrived in June 2024 as Jürgen Klopp’s successor and stunned English football by winning the Premier League in his debut season. He was named LMA Manager of the Year after also reaching the Carabao Cup final and Champions League last 16. 

But the second season unraveled. Despite a record-breaking £446million summer spend on Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giovanni Leoni, Liverpool managed only 60 points, 24 fewer than the previous year. The Reds finished fifth, 25 points behind champions Arsenal, and exited the Champions League and FA Cup at the quarter-final stage and the League Cup in the fourth round. 

The club was beaten 19 times across all competitions in 2025/26. Injuries to Isak, Wirtz and Ekitike meant the trio played only 119 minutes together, while defensive frailties saw Liverpool concede 53 league goals, just four fewer than relegation-threatened Tottenham.

*Board Statement: ‘Significant and Successful, But Change Needed’*

“The contribution Arne has made to Liverpool FC in the time that he has been with us has been significant, meaningful and – most importantly of all to supporters and ourselves – successful,” FSG said. “That does not diminish the work Arne has done here, or the respect we have for him. Nor is it a reflection of his talents. Rather, it is indicative of the need for a different approach”. 

The club added that Slot “embraces responsibility” and leaves “with our gratitude, with a Premier League title to his name”. 

Slot’s relationship with the squad deteriorated late in the season. Mohamed Salah publicly criticised the team’s style after a defeat to Aston Villa, calling for a return to “heavy metal attacking”. The post was liked by multiple players. Salah subsequently ended his nine-season stint at the club. 

Fans turned on Slot after “a number of poor performances”, and boos were heard during the final home games. Poor displays against Aston Villa and Brentford in the last two matches “cemented the belief Slot’s time at Anfield should end”.

Slot’s assistants Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Sipke Hulshoff and Ruben Peeters were also relieved of their duties with immediate effect. Van Bronckhorst had joined from Besiktas and previously managed Rangers to a Europa League final.

Talks are advancing with former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, who announced he would leave the Cherries after guiding them to a sixth-place finish and Europa League qualification. Iraola has informed Liverpool of his desire to join, and the club has already made contact. 

Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness and Lens manager Pierre Sage have also been considered, while Oliver Glasner is another name linked. However, Iraola is the “clear frontrunner”. 

Jamie Carragher called the sacking a “shock” but said “an elite football manager probably finds a way of fixing Liverpool last season”. The Times reported FSG decided Slot was “simply no longer the best person to lead the club” despite backing from sporting director Richard Edwards and Michael Hughes. 

Slot was only informed of the decision on Saturday morning, after the club made a U-turn on plans to give him more time. 

Analysts point to three factors: 1) Injuries to key signings, 2) Set-piece and defensive decline, and 3) Loss of the dressing room. The club spent £450m but failed to address right-back after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure, with Conor Bradley suffering a season-ending knee injury in January. 

Slot departs with one Premier League title from two seasons. His title win was seen as a remarkable feat, matching Klopp’s single league crown at the first attempt. He also oversaw Champions League qualification in both campaigns.