It's now become official: Arne Slot has been given the boot as the Liviverpool manager. This wasn't a surprise. His stock had slowly been diminishing with every match that Liverpool played.
It came to a point where he was hanging onto his job by a mere thread. That thread of winning the Premier League became more and more distant as the weeks went on.
What is shocking, though, is the timing. They could've sacked him earlier and immediately hire Xabi Alonso. However, the Liverpool board stuck for Slot and Alonso went to Chelsea.
Arne Slot's sacking at Liverpool completes one of the most remarkable falls from grace of any Premier League title-winning manager.
Chelsea sacked three managers swiftly after the same success as Slot â but then-owner, Roman Abramovich's unique demands made them a special case.
This is Liverpool, the supposed bastion of stability.
Carlo Ancelotti was sacked by Chelsea at the end of his second season in 2011 after winning the league and FA Cup double in his first. Jose Mourinho's second spell at Stamford Bridge ended when he was axed in December 2015; seven months after winning the title, as they lay one point above the relegation zone.
Antonio Conte went the same way in July 2018 after winning the title in his first season then winning the FA Cup in his second. Leicester City dismissed Claudio Ranieri in February 2017 as they were only one point off the relegation places nine months after their remarkable Premier League triumph.
None, arguably, have been shown the door from an earlier position of such strength as Slot â sacked a year after winning the title with ease in his first season in succession to Jurgen Klopp; then having his squad bolstered by a staggering ÂŁ450m spending spree.
Slot's seamless transition from the iconic Klopp saw the German's squad â with only the addition of ÂŁ10m Juventus forward, Federico Chiesa â win the title by 10 points with four games to spare, losing only twice until the job was done with victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
So, was Slot purely the beneficiary of taking over ready-made title winners then simply steering them to glory?
This would be incredibly harsh on Slot and his achievements.
Slot calmed understandable post-Klopp anxiety with his measured approach, but made key alterations that took away some of the thrilling chaos that preceded him to turn the title race into a procession.
Liverpool's main transfer target on Slot's appointment was Real Sociedad's Spain midfielder, Martin Zubimendi, who is now at Arsenal. With the deal almost done, Zubimendi decided to stay in La Liga; to the widespread angst of those Liverpool fans demanding big signings.
Slot blocked out the noise, turning to his countryman, Ryan Gravenberch, something of an under-achiever under Klopp, to take the "number 6" role designated for Zubimendi.
It was a masterstroke, with Gravenberch being outstanding as he provided the platform for a more organised Liverpool; not as exciting as under Klopp but cohesive, organised winners.
Slot also produced another key tactical move by using Luis Diaz, a gifted but occasionally erratic winger, as a striker. It was not the Colombian's natural position but it suited him perfectly as he made many match-winning contributions.
He also won over Liverpool's biggest names who had under-pinned the Klopp glories of winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and two League Cups.
Mohamed Salah had arguably his finest season as Liverpool's squad bought into Slot's methods as one - although this relationship turned to open hostility, at least on the Egyptian's side, surfacing in two public outbursts, one in an interview and another on social media, that undermined the head coach.
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Salah's form fell off a cliff in previously unimaginable fashion before he announced this would be his final season at Liverpool after a magnificent career.
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Yes, Slot inherited what Klopp described as Liverpool 2.0 but it was also a squad that had finished nine points off the title when the German left. The Dutchman changed that.
Slot was bequeathed quality, but he put his own stamp on it to make Liverpool title winners. To suggest otherwise is to downgrade his work unfairly.
It was just over two weeks ago when Arne Slot told reporters at Liverpool's AXA Training Centre that he had "every reason to believe" he would be the Liverpool manager next season.
Slot was a major part of planning for next season and, at various times over the past few months, spoke about the importance of the summer ahead for Liverpool as they continue their transition, following a record spend of ÂŁ450m in the same period last season.
So when the Dutchman was informed on Saturday morning by Liverpool, after a decision made by sporting director Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards, chief executive of owners FSG, that he was to be sacked, it was a shock to Slot.
His contract was set to expire next summer and, in the concluding weeks of the campaign, Slot spoke like a man firmly with the belief that he would be leading Liverpool next season.
As early as yesterday, Slot's representatives believed there was no change in the support shown by Liverpool over the course of what the 47-year-old described to BBC Sport in February as the "toughest season" he has had.
A campaign that started with the tragic passing of Diogo Jota and saw Liverpool engulfed with injuries ended with the team losing 19 games across all competitions.
Add in the regular occurrence of boos from supporters at Anfield and the ugly breakdown of his relationship with Mohamed Salah and you can see why Slot and Liverpool were truly pushed to the limits.
The way he carried himself and led the club through one of its darkest hours after Jota's death deserves the utmost credit. Liverpool believe that, having had a chance to assess the situation now the season is over, the team must evolve again.
Major signings were made last summer with Alexander Isak; Florian Wirtz; Hugo Ekitike; Milos Kerkez; Jeremie Frimpong and Giovanni Leoni joining and more are planned this summer, with Jeremy Jacquet, already confirmed in a ÂŁ60m deal from Rennes.
Fundamentally, the feeling is that the next phase demands a front-foot, aggressive and urgent style of football, and that Slot is not the man for that.
Slot lacked the authority that Jurgen had. That much was clear as the season went on with Liverpool repeatedly delivering dull displays. Hughes was present when Liverpool went off to a chorus of boos against Chelsea earlier this month - a clear sign that the fanbase was turning.
When the departing Salah called out Slot's style of play indirectly in a social media post two weeks ago that was liked by other Liverpool players; it was a clear attack on his manager's leadership.
There were also question marks over whether the players truly believed in Slot's methods.
One club source, who was also at Liverpool during Jurgen Klopp's tenure said: "Arne's a great person but you always felt he lacked that authority Jurgen had and that became more evident when things weren't going well on the pitch."
The departure of veterans Salah, Andy Robertson and now Ibrahima Konate is telling too.
Slot was never going to be Klopp but he won the Premier League title at the first time of asking and deserves immense credit for that. For that alone, he will be a part of Liverpool's illustrious history.
Questions must also be asked about Liverpool's hierarchy because, if they had made this decision a few weeks earlier, then one of their own in Xabi Alonso would've been available and such a decision would have had the blessing of plenty of Liverpool supporters.
Alonso, who shares the same agent as Andoni Iraola, joined Chelsea as manager on a four-year deal.
Both Liverpool Sporting Director, Richard Hughes and Chief Executive, Michael Edwards, are contracted until next summer.
The understanding is that FSG initially backed Slot next season to rebuild the supporter faith that has waned considerably during last season's struggles.
As the season concluded, they believed that delaying the decision which looked increasingly inevitable would be unfair on the squad and damaging to preparations for next season.
It was a decision made with enormous reluctance with Slot becoming the first Liverpool manager to be sacked despite winning the league - Kenny Dalglish was sacked in 2011-12 but that was his second stint as Liverpool.
Iraola - who was appointed by Hughes at Bournemouth - is the leading candidate and contact has already been made, with his immediate availability also playing a part in severing ties with Slot.
For Slot, there is no bad blood with Liverpool but he is of the belief that he has been dealt a tough hand with the situation this past season. With perspective, if you were to switch his two seasons around - one where Liverpool win the title and one where they qualify for the Champions League - then he would be hailed as a genius.
The reality is that Liverpool's points tally fell from 84 in 2024-25 to 60 in 2025-26; with the swing of minus 24 the biggest drop by any ever-present Premier League side across the past two campaigns.
There was no sign of Liverpool reversing that shift in the last few months of the season. The way it has panned out, Slot has not been able to say goodbye to the fans.
He finished his first campaign lifting the Premier League trophy in front of the Kop, where his head is on an iconic banner of Reds bosses to have won either a league title or a European Cup, alongside the likes of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.
By the end of the second season, Slot was sat alone in the dugout watching Salah and Robertson say their own goodbyes. That was six days ago, when it seemed like Liverpool were sticking with him and Slot had no reason to believe otherwise.
Modern day football is brutal and Liverpool have acted in a manner that is certainly not usual with their tradition. This is a club firmly in transition and sadly for Slot, Liverpool want a new man to manage that change.
Liverpool are keen to quickly announce Andoni Iraola as their next manager, following the clubâs shock decision to sack Arne Slot on Saturday lunchtime.
The move to remove Slot from his position has stunned the footballing world, coming despite previous indications from the Anfield hierarchy that the Dutchman would be given time to build following a season of regression in the 2025-26 campaign.
It has been told by sources that Liverpoolâs hierarchy were not enamoured with the clubâs finish to the season, while further doubts were raised over Slotâs plans for reshaping the backroom staff. Those concerns ultimately proved decisive.
Following discussions involving Richard Hughes and senior figures at the club across Friday and Saturday, a decision was taken to axe Slot and move quickly to identify potential successors.
However, sources are adamant that the club are very much locked on to one choice and one choice only: Iraola. Iraola is a coach Hughes knows well after luring him to Bournemouth and discussions have already taken place as Liverpool assess their next move.
Liverpool are also aware that Iraola has emerged as a serious candidate for the Bayer Leverkusen role, meaning any approach would need to be made swiftly if the club are to avoid missing out.
Liverpool was one of the clubs Iraola had identified as a preferred destination ahead of a possible departure from Bournemouth and the chance to take charge at Anfield could now present itself.
While both Julian Nagelsmann and Sebastian Hoeness were discussed, it quickly became apparent that the 43-year-old Basque tactician, who has led the Cherries into a historic first season of European competition next season, has been identified as their undisputed number one target.
With managerial options limited and competition increasing, Liverpoolâs next steps could prove decisive as the club looks to reset following a dramatic and unexpected change at the top. His title at Liverpool, should his appointment be quickly announced, will be âhead coachâ.
In a message of gratitude to Slot, FSG released a statement on Saturday morning outlining the difficult decision they had made in deciding to part ways with the 47-year-old Dutchman.
"That this was a difficult decision for us to make as a club goes without saying,â the statement began. âThe contribution Arne has made to Liverpool FC in the time that he has been with us has been significant, meaningful and â most importantly of all to supporters and ourselves â successful."
"As such, our appreciation for everything he has achieved could not be greater, particularly as it was underpinned by a work ethic, a diligence and a level of expertise which further underlined our view that he is a leader in his field."
"From the moment that we first encountered Arne, it was immediately clear that he is an individual who does not merely accept responsibility; he embraces it. This was evident when he agreed to take over as head coach, when he guided us to the Premier League title and throughout the season just ended when he faced considerable challenges and burdens."
"At the same time, we have collectively come to the conclusion that change is necessary for the club to keep moving forward. Again, it must be stressed that this is not a decision which has been reached lightly, anything but."
"We would like to take this opportunity to place on record our appreciation for Arne, who will always hold a special place in the history of this football club as the coach who delivered Liverpoolâs 20th league title."
"That accomplishment â made all the more remarkable as it arrived in his very first season in charge â was built on outstanding coaching and leadership every single day."
"He also helped guide the club through one of the most difficult periods imaginable following the loss of Diogo. The compassion and humanity he showed throughout that time said a great deal about him as a person."
"As such, we can only wish Arne well in the next stage of his coaching career, with our expectation being that he will continue to be successful. We do so in the knowledge that his Liverpool legacy is intact and will become yet more meaningful in the years and decades to come."
"Nevertheless, the conclusion we have come to is built on a belief that the teamâs trajectory is best addressed through a change of direction. That does not diminish the work Arne has done here, or the respect we have for him. Nor is it a reflection of his talents. Rather, it is indicative of the need for a different "approach."
"Arne leaves with our gratitude, with a Premier League title to his name, and with the knowledge that he and his family will always be welcomed back at Anfield."
I would've preferred for Slot to stay put. However, the board should've been more wiser with their timing. Had they got it right, they could've got one of their own. To me, they are taking a huge risk if they appoint Andoni Iraola as their next manager. We'll see if he can handle the newfound pressure.