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Arne Slot: The definitive first biography of the new Liverpool FC manager
Arne The Biography is the definitive portrait of the Dutch manager who took on one of the toughest jobs in football – succeeding Jürgen Klopp – and delivered a Premier League triumph in his first season at Liverpool FC.
Slot had proven himself in the Netherlands – leading AZ Alkmaar to a second-place finish and delivering Feyenoord their first title in six years. With a bold, high-pressing style and sharp mind, he had earned a reputation as one of Europe’s brightest managerial prospects.
When Klopp’s era ended in 2024, Anfield held its breath. But Slot stepped into the void with calm authority and tactical brilliance. By Christmas, Liverpool were top of both the Premier League and Champions League tables, having lost just once. Key players like Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai found renewed form under his leadership. Slot ushered in a new era of confidence and cohesion at Anfield.
In this richly detailed biography, acclaimed Dutch author Maarten Meijer traces Slot’s journey from the quiet village of Bergentheim to the Premier League summit. He unpacks the methods, mentality and rise of a coach who has already lifted his first major English trophy and whose vision and leadership are reshaping Liverpool’s future.
Slot had proven himself in the Netherlands – leading AZ Alkmaar to a second-place finish and delivering Feyenoord their first title in six years. With a bold, high-pressing style and sharp mind, he had earned a reputation as one of Europe’s brightest managerial prospects.
When Klopp’s era ended in 2024, Anfield held its breath. But Slot stepped into the void with calm authority and tactical brilliance. By Christmas, Liverpool were top of both the Premier League and Champions League tables, having lost just once. Key players like Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai found renewed form under his leadership. Slot ushered in a new era of confidence and cohesion at Anfield.
In this richly detailed biography, acclaimed Dutch author Maarten Meijer traces Slot’s journey from the quiet village of Bergentheim to the Premier League summit. He unpacks the methods, mentality and rise of a coach who has already lifted his first major English trophy and whose vision and leadership are reshaping Liverpool’s future.
307 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 3, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 9, 2026
3.75/5. Probably one for Liverpool and Feyenoord fans only. Provided some useful insight into his football career, influences and playing style which was interesting based on how things have gone this season.
September 15, 2025
Well written biography, providing a real insight into the man
January 11, 2026
A nicely researched and informative biography that gives a great insight into Arne Slot. Probably not a book for many outwith the Liverpool and Feyenoord fan bases though.
October 9, 2025
'From the moment I met him, he had a database of clips and we used it in the first team and the under-21 team to develop exercises to train following his principles. He is very good at convincing people of the way he wants to play, but also how to be a professional and train hard, which is crucial, especially for young players.'
For a Liverpool fan, you leave reading Maarten Meijer's book thinking that Arne Slot might just be of the Bob Paisley mould. As those fans know, when Bill Shankly left in 1974, the iconic Liverpool manager who got Liverpool out of the 2nd division and winning titles, his assistant coach, Bob Paisley, reluctantly succeeded him. Unforgettably, he would go on to build on that success by winning six league titles and three European trophies.
In this biography, you'll see the 20 point system Richard Hughes used to recruit Slot and the 60 page scouting report that detailed him exceeding their expectations. You'll learn about his Dutch upbringing and his dad's influence, his system at Feyenoord, his own career as a footballer and parts of his philosophy. Interestingly, you'll see how he uses video to develop players and games, especially by Manchester City, to imprint on his teams his way of playing. He comes across as a modern coach, who uses the data, is incredibly empathetic but firm when he needs to be.
All this should be taken with a grain of salt though. The Dutch biographer, Maarten Meijer, previously wrote a biography of Erik Ten Hag which I imagine similarly gave the impression of a once-in-a-generation manager who Man Utd were lucky to snag up. And we all know how that turned out. Slot may or may not be the next Bob Paisley. He is certainly finding the second season harder than the first with integrating Florian Wirtz, the new full-backs and rediscovering Mo Salah's form. But, this was a good football biography that made me appreciate his philosophy more and gulp down hope that he may be the chosen one.
For a Liverpool fan, you leave reading Maarten Meijer's book thinking that Arne Slot might just be of the Bob Paisley mould. As those fans know, when Bill Shankly left in 1974, the iconic Liverpool manager who got Liverpool out of the 2nd division and winning titles, his assistant coach, Bob Paisley, reluctantly succeeded him. Unforgettably, he would go on to build on that success by winning six league titles and three European trophies.
In this biography, you'll see the 20 point system Richard Hughes used to recruit Slot and the 60 page scouting report that detailed him exceeding their expectations. You'll learn about his Dutch upbringing and his dad's influence, his system at Feyenoord, his own career as a footballer and parts of his philosophy. Interestingly, you'll see how he uses video to develop players and games, especially by Manchester City, to imprint on his teams his way of playing. He comes across as a modern coach, who uses the data, is incredibly empathetic but firm when he needs to be.
All this should be taken with a grain of salt though. The Dutch biographer, Maarten Meijer, previously wrote a biography of Erik Ten Hag which I imagine similarly gave the impression of a once-in-a-generation manager who Man Utd were lucky to snag up. And we all know how that turned out. Slot may or may not be the next Bob Paisley. He is certainly finding the second season harder than the first with integrating Florian Wirtz, the new full-backs and rediscovering Mo Salah's form. But, this was a good football biography that made me appreciate his philosophy more and gulp down hope that he may be the chosen one.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews