Arne Slot makes Pep Guardiola admission and Klopp’s advice on leading Liverpool
Arne Slot, Liverpool’s new head coach, has opened up about the influence Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have had on his managerial journey as he prepares for his first Champions League home match at Anfield. Slot, who took over from Klopp this season, leads the Reds into a crucial European tie against Bologna, following their impressive 3-1 victory over AC Milan in the opening match of the competition.
Reflecting on his path to management, Slot credited Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona as a turning point in shaping his coaching philosophy. “If you asked my father now, he would say, ‘He does everything different as a manager to how he was as a player,’” Slot joked. He explained that his own playing style as a midfielder with limited speed forced him to rely heavily on game insight and teamwork.
“I always make the same joke. I always say: I was not so fast, some people called me slow, and that helped me maybe a bit with game insight,” he said. Slot detailed how watching Guardiola’s Barcelona confirmed some of his own ideas about football. “At the end of my career, that became more and more clear to me… I saw similar patterns, not in terms of how we play it, but more: okay, this ball which we sometimes play – and Barcelona constantly plays – leads to success.”
Slot also spoke highly of the culture at Liverpool, which he credits Klopp for cultivating during his nine-year tenure. Slot explained that Klopp had reassured him about the team’s hardworking ethos before his arrival. “The culture of this team, the culture of this club, the hard work, the players showing up every day in training sessions, trying to bring the best out of them… that was absolutely not necessary to instill here,” Slot explained.
As Slot prepares for his first European night at Anfield, he’s excited to witness the famed Anfield atmosphere. “There are (clubs) where you need to do a lot of good things before they start to support you, but here, the stadium is on fire from the first second,” he said. Slot is confident that the backing of Liverpool’s passionate supporters will inspire his team to even greater heights.
Arne Slot makes Pep Guardiola admission and Klopp’s advice on leading Liverpool