Liverpool’s new manager, Arne Slot has revealed that he decided to move to the Premier League club because of the rivalry that existed between the former club coach, Jurgen Klopp, and Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola.
Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola created and maintained an unprecedented rivalry in the Premier League in the last seven seasons.
In the said period, Klopp’s Liverpool were always there to contend with Guardiola’s Manchester City for the Premier League title.
Unfortunately for Liverpool, Pep Guardiola and his boys won the league title six times out of the seven times they contended against Klopp’s team. The German tactician managed to win the league title just once during that period which is the first EPL title for the Reds in over 30 years.
Arne Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool after the German tactician decided to end his ties with the Merseyside club, said he was enticed to accept the Red’s job because of the competition between his predecessor and Guardiola.
“I think for everyone who loves football it was a fantastic era to watch the both of them getting the best out of each other,” the 45-year-old Dutchman tactician told Liverpool’s website.
“Liverpool came along and – like I just told you about the rivalry between City and Liverpool and the many games we as football fans saw – it wasn’t a difficult choice to make.”
On his meeting with Jurgen Klopp after he was appointed Liverpool’s new coach, Arne Slot said: “He gave me more than a few good tips but I think what stood out for me was that he was so happy for me and that – and I think he said this in the media as well – he would be my biggest fan from now on because he supports Liverpool in the best possible way, and you don’t see this very often.”
Arne Slot will have his first opportunity to lead Liverpool in a game when the Premier League side plays a friendly against Real Betis on 27 July. His first Premier League game as The Red’s coach is against newly-promoted Ipswich Town on 17 August.