Former Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is not having the summer he expected having been sacked by the Reds in abrupt fashion in May.
The Dutchman had been looking forward to planning a transformative transfer window to get his team back challenging again, but has instead been watching the World Cup as an unemployed coach.
Given his success with Liverpool, Slot is unlikely to stay that way for long, though, and after Ronald Koeman and the Netherlands crashed out of the World Cup at the last-32 stage on Tuesday morning, a foray into international management would surely suit the 47-year-old.
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Slot could take over the Netherlands
After Germany also failed to progress beyond the first knockout round, there have been strong calls for Jurgen Klopp to replace Julian Nagelsmann as their national team boss.
And, come the next European Championship, perhaps Liverpool’s last two managers could meet, with Koeman also facing calls to be relieved of his duties.
Like Nagelsmann, the former Barcelona boss said that he’ll stay on if allowed to, but having disappointed with a promising squad, the pressure seemingly told for Koeman, and he resigned on Tuesday evening.
Slot would likely be the top candidate to replace Koeman, and is certainly the most obvious one. Despite links to AC Milan and Fulham in the immediate aftermath of his sacking by Liverpool, the Premier League-winning boss has resisted the urge to dip his toe straight back into club management.
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Despite that, Slot is only going to be available for so long, and the KNVB should recognise that though it may not be a case of now or never, it is perhaps a ‘now, or 5 or 10 years down the line.’
Having worked with some of the team’s key players already at Liverpool, and some others with Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar, maybe Slot could be the man to finally make good on the Netherlands’ potential.
Why the job could suit Slot
It is obvious what appeal Slot could have for the Netherlands, but why would he, an elite manager regardless of his final year at Liverpool, want to take what really is a step down at this stage of his career?
While that may be a difficult square to circle in some respects, it is also true that there would be some benefits for Slot.
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At Liverpool, the former Feyenoord manager was often accused of taking too much time off. Well, as a national team manager, this would not be a problem. He could essentially holiday for virtually nine months of every other year.
Being based in the Netherlands he would also be staying close to his family without taking the step back into the Eredivisie.
Slot’s wife and kids continuing to live away from him during his two years at Liverpool cannot have been especially conducive to him feeling settled and connected with the club. Here, that would not be an issue at all.
Although Slot would also probably prefer to take charge before the next World Cup cycle, he would have a decent chance with the Netherlands at Euro 2028, a tournament which would give him the opportunity to return to the UK and right some wrongs of last season.
From there, he could either stay until the next World Cup, a spell which would be unlikely to do lasting damage to his reputation at club-level, or come back for the right job in two years’ time.
There are no perfect possibilities out there for Slot following his unexpected freedom, but in many respects, this could just about suit everyone.
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