Head coach Arne Slott is staying at Feyenoord after all.
Feyenoord announced via their official channels on 26 June that they have signed an extension with coach Slott. It’s 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 is not done here,” 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 want to play in the Champions League, we want to defend our title. I am proud to stay at Feyenoord.”토토사이트
Initially, Slott was heavily linked with a move to Tottenham. Several British media outlets reported that “Tottenham have identified Slott as their next manager. An official offer will be sent in the coming days. ‘Slott’s agent has informed Feyenoord of Tottenham’s negotiations,’ Sky Sports reported. 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 sacked Antonio Conte in March, citing poor results. 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 included the use of Ivan Perisic. Conte’s former right-hand man Christian Sturridge has since taken over. However, Sturridge was also ousted after a shock 1-6 defeat to Newcastle. Tottenham appointed Ryan Mason, a former coach of the club, as acting head coach. Spurs had a terrible season, with a Europa League spot virtually out of reach.
They went all in on a new manager. Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann, former Bayern Munich manager, Xabi Alonso of Leverkusen, and Roberto De Jervi of Brighton were among the favourites. However, negotiations hit a snag when Fabio Paratici left the club after being disciplined. To make matters worse, the club’s hopes of qualifying for Europe’s club competitions were effectively dashed. Tottenham’s desired manager was not so keen to join the club. The most likely candidate, Nagelsmann, wanted control over player acquisition and the right to appoint the manager, and negotiations broke down.
Spurs found a new candidate and chose Slott. Slott has been in the spotlight this season after guiding 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 employ a flexible and aggressive tactical approach, with a strong emphasis on 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 a 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 break-up.
However, this time it was not to be. 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 rumours of a move to Tottenham.
The issue was money. With Slott still under contract, Tottenham would have to pay Feyenoord £6 million in compensation to bring him back. It’s a buyout of sorts. There have been talks of a larger sum, but chairman Daniel Levy was hesitant to spend that much on a manager. Initially, the prevailing view was that Levy would invest.
According to Football Transfer Tavern, Spurs were reportedly disappointed not to have been able to land the then-Ajax boss in 2021. 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 quarter-final clash with Tottenham. Van Gaal has done well at United. The local reviews of Slott are also favourable. ‘Slott will bring attacking, 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.
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 certain, however, is that Spurs are still struggling to find a new manager. With the club struggling to qualify for European club competitions, it’s unlikely that a big name will come to Spurs. Especially not without spending a fortune. Before Conte’s arrival, Tottenham struggled to find a manager. They are in a similar situation now.
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