Arne Slot has taken up his first role since being dismissed as Liverpool manager. The Dutch coach was let go at the end of last season following what the report described as a profoundly underwhelming title defense, one that saw the Reds barely clinch a UEFA Champions League berth.
Slot has now been named to UEFA's Technical Observer Group, joining a number of prominent figures, several of whom have Liverpool ties. According to UEFA, the group will analyze the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League with "stats and video assistance, enabling them to deliver detailed reports on the latest developments in coaching, which are shared among the footballing community to give a dynamic account of the state of the game."
Announcing Slot's appointment, UEFA said, via the Liverpool Echo: "Slot made his name at Feyenoord, reaching the UEFA Conference League final in 2022 and winning an Eredivisie title and Dutch Cup in the following two campaigns. He joined Liverpool in 2024 and immediately guided the club to their second Premier League trophy in five years before departing Anfield this summer."
Other members of the group include former Liverpool managers Rafa Benítez and Roy Hodgson, along with ex-Reds goalkeeper David James. Former England head coach Gareth Southgate and ex-Everton manager Sean Dyche are also part of the setup.
Slot had previously been linked with the Netherlands national team vacancy, but he has distanced himself from those reports, telling Voetbal International: "That speculation is incorrect. We simply never got to that stage of the talks."
He added: "At this stage of my career, I prefer to see myself on the training field with my players every day, something that is simply not possible in the same way with a national team. I have a lot of respect for the national team and for the KNVB [Dutch Football Association] and can only be positive about the professional way in which the talks went that week. For now, I believe that club football still has a lot to offer me."
The Netherlands job subsequently went to Spanish football icon Xavi, who signed a four-year deal running through to the end of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
