Arne Slot confirms Liverpool backroom team after recommendation from ex-Man City star

Liverpool's coaching staff for the 2024-25 has been confirmed by Arne Slot, as major changes have been made by the new head coach.

For the first time in nine years, Liverpool has a new head coach in the Anfield dugout, as Slot arrives from Feyenoord to replace the departing Jurgen Klopp. Pep Lijnders, Klopp's long-term assistant, also left alongside the German and accepted the role as head coach of Red Bull Salzburg.

Slot has been keen to keep the core of the club in place while making his adjustments to the backroom staff, and made the official announcement during his first interview with Liverpool. One coaching hire was also recommended by former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, something that could come back to haunt the Premier League champions.

"I bring in Sipke Hulshoff, who's been my assistant for a few years now at Feyenoord. I worked with him long ago, I worked with him at Cambuur Leeuwarden as well," Slot said. "He was the assistant of Ronald Koeman of the Dutch national team as well, but he is going to join me now from the start.

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"A bit older than me, I think, not so much but a bit older than me. Because we work together for such a long time, I think the both of us know exactly what we want when it comes to game models and playing style – and I think that helps.

"Then we will bring in a performance coach, Ruben Peeters, who is going to help me and the club with – how would I put this in English words? – the way we are working on the physical side. Us three have worked together at Feyenoord for three years now and we know how we want to work, which is normal.

"And then there's a replacement in the goalkeeping staff as well – we've brought in Fabian Otte, who was working at Borussia Monchengladbach and is still now with the USA team at the Copa America." Otte is seen as one of the top goalkeeping coaches, and will now train Alisson Becker, considered one of the best in world soccer.

Former first-team goalkeeper coach John Achterberg and his assistant Jack Robinson both left after Klopp departed, and Slot feels confident they've hired one of the best available. Otte was even recommended by Hart, who worked with him during a brief move to Burnley.

Monchengladbach and Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer also spoke highly of Otte, validating Liverpool's decision. Slot will keep certain 'ideas' from the Klopp era during training, but will implement his own style with a new coaching staff.

"I think it's always interesting if you are the successor of Jürgen Klopp and also Pepijn Lijnders, who does quite a bit of work on the training pitch, to see what their ideas were on the training pitch," Slot said. "I said this, we all try to steal a bit from each other – mostly this is done by looking at the games but if you can see the way they train, that can only help you.

"Let one thing be clear: the players are not going to get all the same exercises again – we will implement our own things. But it's interesting to see what they did also during the week."