Coach Arne Slott will stay at Feyenoord after all.
Feyenoord announced through their official channel on the 26th (KST) that they have signed an extension with coach Slott. It is a one-year extension. ‘Slott, who won the 16th title in Feyenoord’s history, will remain at the club until 2026,’ the club said. “Our work here is not yet done,” Slott said, “We had a great season with Feyenoord, and we won the title as a reward for our hard work, but we want to go further. We have the Champions League to play for, and we have the title to defend. I’m proud to stay at Feyenoord.”
Initially, Slott was heavily linked with a move to Tottenham. Several English media outlets reported that Tottenham have made Slott their favorite to become their next manager. An official offer will be sent in the coming days. Sky Sports broke the news: “Slott’s agent has informed Feyenoord of Tottenham’s negotiations. Despite not yet making a formal offer, Spurs were likely to hold talks with Slott after their final game this weekend.
As it turns out, Spurs have found a new manager. Spurs fired Antonio Conte in March, citing poor performance. Conte led Tottenham to the European Champions League last year, but the team hasn’t performed as well as expected this season, with Conte sticking to a tactic that emphasizes Ivan Perisic. Conte’s former right-hand man Christian Stellini took over as acting coach. However, Sturridge was also ousted after a shock 1-6 loss to Newcastle. Tottenham hired Ryan Mason, a former coach of the team, to take over as acting head coach. Spurs had one of their worst seasons ever, with a Europa League spot virtually out of reach.
The team went all in on a new manager. Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann, former Bayern Munich manager, Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen manager, and Roberto De Jervi, Brighton manager, were among the favorites. However, negotiations hit a snag when Fabio Paratici left the club after being disciplined. To make matters worse, the club’s chances of qualifying for Europe’s club competitions have been virtually eliminated. Tottenham’s desired manager was not so keen on joining the club. The most likely candidate, Nagelsmann, wanted the right to buy players and appoint the head coach, and negotiations broke down.
The Spurs found a new candidate and chose Slott. Slott has been in the spotlight this season after leading Feyenoord to the top of the table. Slott, who has 11 years of coaching experience, led Feyenoord to a third-place finish in the league and a Europa League runner-up finish in his first year in charge. He was praised for his ability to implement a flexible and aggressive tactic that centered around pressing. In the Netherlands, he was nicknamed the “next Van Gaal,” a reference to his predecessor who left for United. He is said to spearhead the Pep Guardiola style of attacking football. Having attracted interest from English clubs, Slott has expressed early ambitions to play in the English Premier League. “The EPL is the best league in the world,” he said, “I turned down an offer from Leeds last winter. Now I have to make a decision. I can stay at Feyenoord or I can leave. Maybe it will help me to leave. It’s natural in football to talk to other clubs,” he said, hinting at a breakup.
This time, however, it was not finalized. Slott has announced his intention to stay at Feyenoord. “I’ve heard a lot about other clubs showing interest in me,” Slott told Algemeen Dagblad in the Netherlands, “but my desire is to stay at Feyenoord and continue to build on the foundations we’ve laid in the last two seasons.” “There have been no transfer discussions and there will be none. Yesterday’s discussion was solely about a possible contract extension. I am looking forward to the new season at Feyenoord.” He dismissed rumors of a move to Tottenham.
The issue was money. With Slott still under contract, Spurs would have to pay Feyenoord £6 million in compensation to bring him back. It’s a buyout of sorts. Chairman Daniel Levy was hesitant about spending that much on a manager. Initially, it was widely expected that Levy would invest.
Tottenham were reportedly disappointed not to land then-Ajax boss Van Gaal in 2021, according to Football Transfer Tavern. At the time, Tottenham were looking for a new manager after sacking Jose Mourinho, and Van Gaal was reportedly on the shortlist. Ten Hagg was in charge of Ajax, where he orchestrated an epic Champions League quarterfinal against Tottenham. Van Gaal has done well at United. The local press has also been positive about Slott. ‘Slott will bring aggressive, entertaining football back to Tottenham,’ said the Daily Mail. “He’s a modern coach who can read players’ minds. He builds a team quickly and is good at bonding with players. The players love him,” and “Slott has a charisma that makes him attractive. His English is also excellent.스포츠토토
Slott was so keen on joining Tottenham that he said he would bring his entire squad with him. But in the end, he stayed at Feyenoord. Some have suggested that Slott was using Spurs to get a better deal. What is clear, however, is that Spurs are still struggling to find a new manager. Given the difficulty of qualifying for European club competitions, it’s unlikely that a big name will come to Spurs. Especially not without spending a fortune. Tottenham struggled to find a manager before they hired Conte. They are in a similar situation now.
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