Slot's sacking leaves assistant Reijnen jobless after he quit Feyenoord for Liverpool role

Etienne Reijnen is out of work after Arne Slot’s dismissal by Liverpool on Saturday ended his planned move to Merseyside before it began. The 39-year-old Dutch coach had resigned from his position at Feyenoord in May, where he had been working alongside manager Robin van Persie, in order to join Slot’s staff at Anfield.

Reijnen had originally been targeted by Slot when the Dutchman took charge of Liverpool in the summer of 2024, but a work-permit refusal blocked the move at the time. When the permit issue was resolved this year, Reijnen left Feyenoord and prepared to relocate to Merseyside — only for Slot’s tenure to be cut short days later.

According to Dutch publication De Telegraaf, Reijnen cannot return to Feyenoord because his former position at the club has already been filled, leaving him without employment. Van Persie’s own future at the Rotterdam club is also uncertain, with new technical director Devy Rigaux saying the club would “take the time to analyse everything that has taken place here over the past season” before making decisions on personnel.

Slot was dismissed following a season in which Liverpool lost 19 times and failed to defend the Premier League title they had won 12 months earlier. The club’s hierarchy concluded that the squad needed to shift back towards a more aggressive, high-tempo style of play.

In an open letter to supporters published over the weekend, Slot reflected warmly on his single season at the club. “The connection we share goes beyond football, beyond European nights under the Anfield lights or the sound of You’ll Never Walk Alone being sung from The Kop,” he wrote. “You made me feel welcome from the start and helped me on the path. That is something I cherish.”

Slot also paid tribute to the players and staff, adding: “Liverpool’s 20th league title belongs to all of us and it will remain an important chapter in its history. For that we should all be proud. I leave with complete confidence in what lies ahead.”

Reijnen’s situation illustrates the collateral impact of a managerial sacking, having given up a stable coaching role only to find himself without a position on either side of the North Sea.