Arne Slot has taken up his first position since being dismissed as Liverpool manager, joining UEFA's Technical Observer Group. The Dutchman was sacked at the end of last season after a disappointing title defence that saw the Reds finish fifth and only just secure Champions League qualification.
Slot dismisses Netherlands link
Slot had been linked with the Netherlands national team job, but he rejected that speculation and stressed his focus on club management. The Netherlands had been looking for a new coach after Ronald Koeman stepped down following a last-32 World Cup exit to Morocco.
While waiting for his next managerial opportunity, Slot has been added to UEFA's Technical Observer Group, joining several well-known figures in football. He will analyse the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.
UEFA's role for observers
UEFA said the group will use "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."
Regarding Slot's appointment, European football's governing body added: "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."
Familiar faces in the group
Also in the group are former Liverpool managers Rafa Benitez and Roy Hodgson, along with Gareth Southgate, Sean Dyche, former Manchester United bosses Erik ten Hag and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and ex-Tottenham managers Thomas Frank and Ange Postecoglou.
Slot has made clear his intention to return to club management. Distancing himself from the Netherlands vacancy, he told Voetbal International: "That speculation is incorrect. We simply never got to that stage of the talks. 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 role subsequently went to Spanish football icon Xavi, who signed a four-year deal running through to the end of the 2030 World Cup.
