Dutch media accuse Liverpool of betraying their culture after Arne Slot's sacking

Liverpool have been accused of abandoning their own values by Dutch media following the dismissal of Arne Slot on Saturday, less than 12 months after the Dutchman guided the club to Premier League glory in his debut season.

Slot paid the price for a dismal title defence that saw Liverpool finish fifth and secure Champions League football only on the final day of the season. Andoni Iraola, who recently departed Bournemouth, is widely expected to be named as his successor.

The reaction in the Netherlands has been notably harsher than among many Liverpool supporters. De Telegraaf accused the club of “throwing their own culture overboard” and condemned what it described as a shift towards a “hire and fire” mentality. Voetbal International called it a “premature end to a period that began with so much promise,” acknowledging that while Slot had achieved legendary status in year one, his second campaign was defined by alarming inconsistency.

AD focused on Liverpool’s £450 million summer spending spree, arguing that “major disappointments” in the transfer market — specifically naming Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz — “barely delivered and proved to be a costly miscalculation in hindsight.”

De Volkskrant placed significant blame on Mohamed Salah, describing him as Slot’s “biggest problem” and pointing to what it called a “frontal attack” from the Egyptian forward following Liverpool’s draw at Leeds. The outlet argued that Salah’s public criticism had “undermined” Slot’s authority throughout the season.

Several Dutch publications also expressed sympathy for the circumstances Slot faced in his final campaign, praising his “compassion and humanity” in the wake of Diogo Jota’s death.

Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, acknowledged the difficulty of the decision in a formal statement. “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 Liverpool’s 20th league title,” the statement read. “That accomplishment — made all the more remarkable as it arrived in his very first season in charge — was built on outstanding coaching and leadership every single day.”

The club is understood to believe the squad requires a tactical reset towards a more aggressive, high-intensity style of play — a sentiment Salah himself echoed in a social media post this month when he called for a return to the “heavy metal football” associated with Jurgen Klopp’s tenure. Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann and PSG manager Luis Enrique have also been mentioned in connection with the vacancy.