Slot believed he had a chance to correct mistakes; he received about £7 million in compensation

After Slot's departure from the Liverpool managerial position, The Athletic published a lengthy article revealing why Liverpool sacked Slot and why the club wanted Iraola to replace him. The first half of this article is below.

The Athletic full text:

The news was delivered to Arne Slot by Liverpool's sporting director, Richard Hughes, on Saturday morning.

The Dutchman was informed that the club, with a heavy heart, had made the decision to end his two-year tenure as head coach.

Just 12 months after winning the Premier League title in his debut season at Anfield, Slot paid the price for a torrid second season, which saw Liverpool finish a lowly fifth. They narrowly secured Champions League qualification but limped over the finish line with just 60 points, their lowest single-season Premier League tally in a decade.

Hughes and Fenway Sports Group's CEO of Football, Michael Edwards, had previously stated their intention to back Slot, given the numerous mitigating factors that led to Liverpool's dramatic downturn in fortunes. However, following a comprehensive review in the week after the season concluded, they reached the conclusion that a change was necessary, given the complex emotions within the dressing room and among the fanbase.

Spanish coach Iraola, who left Bournemouth at the end of the season, is the clear frontrunner to take over, and Liverpool are keen to finalize the appointment quickly.

The Athletic spoke to various individuals, many on condition of anonymity to protect relationships, to explain why Slot was sacked, how players and staff reacted, and why Iraola is the man they want to lead a new era at Anfield.

Slot did not anticipate any of this happening.

"I have every reason to believe I will still be Liverpool's manager next season," he told reporters before the penultimate game of the season at Villa Park.

Behind the scenes, he remained fully involved in discussions about pre-season and summer recruitment plans.

Slot had already arranged for his former Feyenoord assistant, Reijnen, to join his coaching staff this summer. He had wanted to bring Reijnen with him two years ago when he succeeded Jürgen Klopp, but a work permit could not be obtained at the time. This is no longer an issue, as Reijnen recently bid farewell to the Dutch club and was looking forward to reuniting with Slot at Anfield. However, no contract was signed between the two parties at that point.

There was some surprise when Slot did not participate in the traditional lap of honour after the final home game of the season against Brentford. He sat alone in the dugout while departing legends Salah and Robertson received Anfield's applause.

Those close to the Dutchman insisted it was simply because he wanted to ensure the spotlight remained on Salah and Robertson, not a signal that he knew his days at the club were numbered.

Slot continued to discuss summer plans and pre-season preparations with the players, as he genuinely believed he had a chance to rectify matters. On Saturday morning, those hopes were completely dashed.

In an open letter published in the Echo on Monday morning, Slot spoke of his pride in what he and the team had achieved in his first season and the "unspeakable" pain caused by the death of Diogo Jota this summer. He also reflected on his legacy. "I leave knowing that this club is exactly where it belongs: among the elite of Europe," he wrote. "Securing Champions League football was a significant responsibility, and it ensures Liverpool can continue to compete at the highest level next season and beyond.

I depart with full confidence in the future. The players who have given so much to this club, upheld its values, and helped create so many unforgettable moments, have laid a foundation that will endure. At the same time, a new generation is rising, ready to write their own stories and embrace the responsibility that comes with wearing this shirt. Change is part of football, but I know this club will continue to make its people proud."

Terminating Slot's final year of contract will cost Liverpool approximately £7 million in compensation. While the departures of others have not yet been confirmed, assistants Huurshof, van Bronckhorst, and chief fitness and performance coach Ruben Peters are also expected to leave.

When the team collapsed during a desperate slump of nine defeats in 12 games between late September and late November, the message from the club's hierarchy was clear – Slot still had their full backing.

This stance was reiterated again after the FA Cup elimination by Manchester City and European exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in April, which left Liverpool facing a trophyless season and having to contend for the consolation prize of Champions League qualification.

There was considerable sympathy for the situation Slot had to navigate. The backdrop to this season was the tragedy following the unfortunate death of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in a car accident in Spain last July. Fenway Sports Group executives greatly admired Slot's leadership in the most difficult of circumstances.

Injuries also did not help. Record-breaking new signing Alexander Isak was not fit after his £125 million move from Newcastle United, and then missed nearly four months with a fractured left leg.

Leão and Bradley both suffered season-ending knee injuries, while top scorer Ekitike, with 17 goals, sustained a torn Achilles tendon in his right ankle. Alisson, Frimpong, and Wataru Endo also experienced lengthy spells on the sidelines due to injury.

It was a widely accepted fact that a significant portion of the £450 million invested in the squad last summer was not consistently on the pitch. Wirtz, Isak, and Ekitike, who all needed a long period to adapt to English football, only played together for 118 minutes.

Slot's job was also made more difficult by the decline in form of stars such as Salah, Mac Allister, Konaté, and Gakpo.

The breakdown of Salah's relationship with Slot was one of the season's minor subplots, with the Egyptian forward insisting he was made a scapegoat for the team's struggles when he was dropped to the bench in November, telling reporters in December that he was "thrown under the bus."

However, Hughes and Edwards supported Slot's handling of Salah and, in March, agreed to the player's request to tear up the final year of his contract due to his declining output.

That spat did not cost Slot his job. More central to the ultimate decision was his inability to find solutions to the team's glaring weaknesses during a period of pervasive negativity, insipid performances, and disjointed play in the closing stages of the season.

His complaints about facing "low blocks" and "set-piece imbalances" started to grate, and the harshest criticism from fans was that they were bored by the slow style of football.

When Liverpool beat Everton and Crystal Palace back-to-back in late April, they were poised to overtake Manchester United for third place. They needed just four points from their last four games to secure a top-five finish.

But they only managed to pick up 2 points from a possible 12. After a humiliating defeat at Old Trafford, they drew at home with Chelsea, a match in which Slot faced a level of opposition from Liverpool managers at Anfield not seen since Hodgson's late tenure in the 2010-11 season. His decision to substitute N'Goumouha was met with boos from across the stadium. More boos followed at the final whistle. If not for thousands of empty seats, the sound would have been even more deafening.

Notably, this was the first time all season that Chelsea had run further than their opponents in the top flight.

Hughes was sitting in the executive box that day, witnessing fans vent their frustration as they saw Slot's team choose to retreat and slow down the game when 1-0 up, rather than going for the jugular. The disconnect between fan expectations and what the team delivered was palpable.

"The emotion was just sucked out of Anfield," said one Fenway Sports Group executive. "There was no intensity. We looked like a team without an identity."

The 2-4 loss to Aston Villa was equally damaging, and the 1-1 draw with Brentford on the final day was no better. Senior club sources indicated that rather than a single breaking point, confidence in Slot slowly eroded over the final weeks.

Given Liverpool's slow starts and habit of conceding crucial goals late in games, the statistics also looked bleak, pointing to both physical and mental issues.

After gaining 23 points from losing positions in the 2024-25 season, they only won 5 points from losing positions this season. After starting the season with five consecutive league wins, they won only 12 of their next 33 games.

Defensively, conceding 53 goals was their worst record in a 38-game Premier League season, while scoring 63 goals was their leanest output in a decade. The total of 20 defeats across all competitions (including the Community Shield) was the most since the 1992-93 season.

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