“Arne Slot discovers dismissal hours before official announcement.”

The news hit Anfield like a bombshell: Arne Slot, Liverpool’s manager, only discovered he was being dismissed a few hours before the club’s official announcement. The decision shocked fans and experts alike, as until Friday afternoon, the 47-year-old coach had no inkling that his future was in jeopardy.

It was early Saturday afternoon when Liverpool officially announced Slot’s immediate departure, just six days after the conclusion of a forgettable season marked by mediocre performances and disappointing results. The turnaround was so abrupt that, days earlier, it seemed certain the club would trust the Dutchman to lead the next project, with strong rumors about the hiring of his former assistant at Feyenoord, Etienne Reijnen, to join the coaching staff at Anfield.

Sources close to the club revealed that Slot held onto hope until the very last moment. Dominic King, a journalist for The Telegraph, stated that “at 5:30 PM on Friday, the coach had no reason to suspect he was in the last 24 hours of his command at Liverpool.” The news of his departure was communicated to him on Saturday morning by sporting director Richard Hughes, who did so “with great reluctance.”

Paul Joyce of The Times noted that, less than two days prior, Slot was “actively preparing for the next season,” excited about the signing of Reijnen, until he was informed the following morning that the club “could not delay the inevitable” and that a change on the bench was unavoidable.

The biggest shock lies not only in Slot’s departure after a disastrous season but in the speed with which Liverpool went from an apparent demonstration of total confidence in the manager to a drastic decision, made almost secretly and revealed at the last minute. The imminent arrival of Reijnen was seen as a clear sign of Slot’s continuity, especially since the assistant had already informed Feyenoord that he would be leaving the club.

Everything indicates that the administration led by Fenway Sports Group (FSG) had been planning this change for some time, only waiting to secure the name of the successor to avoid internal turbulence before communicating the decision to the manager who, less than two years ago, led Liverpool to their 20th English championship title, a historic achievement that triggered a huge wave of euphoria in Merseyside.

However, the sharp decline in the team’s performance and the poor football played under Slot’s command left the board with no alternative, especially after the growing dissatisfaction among fans at Anfield, which became impossible to ignore.

The time for change seems inevitable and justified, despite the eternal gratitude that Arne Slot earned by leading the Reds to a title that seemed unattainable. Now, Liverpool is preparing to turn the page and open a new cycle, hoping to regain lost glory and win back fans with quality football and victories.

This article first appeared in Apito Final.