Former Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has confirmed that he held talks with the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) over the vacant Netherlands managerial position but decided not to continue with the process.
The 47-year-old said his decision was not related to disagreements over salary or contract length, contrary to reports that had circulated in the Netherlands.
Slot explained that negotiations had never reached that stage.
“Over the past few weeks, and particularly the past few days, various reports have appeared regarding the vacancy at the Dutch national team, suggesting that I had withdrawn from the process after lengthy negotiations, including regarding salary and contract duration,” Slot said.
“That speculation is incorrect. We simply never reached that stage of the talks.”
Slot wants to return to club football
Slot, who guided Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title in 2023 before taking charge of Liverpool, said he currently prefers the daily involvement that comes with managing a club.
“At this stage of my career, I prefer to see myself on the training pitch with my players every day. Something that is simply not possible in the same way with a national team,” he explained.
He therefore chose not to continue discussions or enter negotiations over a potential contract.
Slot said he has tremendous respect for both the Netherlands national team and the KNVB and praised the professional manner in which the discussions were conducted.
“For now, I believe that club football still has a lot to offer me,” he added.
Future Netherlands role not ruled out
Despite rejecting the opportunity this time, Slot stressed that managing his country remains an ambition for the future.
“It would be a great honour to represent my country as national coach one day. However, this was not the right moment for me,” he said.
The Netherlands are now continuing their search for Ronald Koeman’s successor. Reports indicate that former Portugal manager Roberto Martínez is currently in discussions with the KNVB over the position.
Slot, meanwhile, remains focused on finding his next opportunity in club football after his departure from Liverpool.
