Some clubs are already planning for the next season. A pivotal part is the manager. Three clubs have been prioritising finding a new manager: Liverpool; Bayern Munich and Barcelona. The good news was that the departures were well known so there isn't a frantic search going on.
The most well known and talked about managerial search has been the one who will replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. Brighton manager, Robert De Zerbi, was talked about becoming the new manager. However, nothing concrete ever happened. The first serious name brought up was Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim. However, nothing came of it. Initial talks were the only thing that took place. Now, Feyenoord manager, Arne Slot, has emerged as the front runner. His appointment seems like it can be announced any day now.
He has cited Pep Gaurdiola and Klopp himself as 'beautiful examples' of how he likes to play. He said in 2021, " The goal is not to play offensively, but I believe this is the way to win a lot of games." He likes to play a formation of 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. He encourages players to attack their opposite numbers.
His style of play is focused on an aggressive, dominanting style of football and places a big emphasis on developing young players. He also strives on improving senior stars at his disposal. He plays with a high defensive line and usually utilises a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation. Out of possession, his teams press high, making his philosophy not too far away from Klopp's and the style he could inherit at Liverpool.
He is said to be a no-nonsense comunicator. This is just perfect for Liverpool. He will be able to handle big egos and handling pressures. There have been admireres and he has been praised for his man-management skills. Former club captain, Jan Toornstra, who the 45-year-old controversially dropped in his first full season at the helm, praised his ability to "touch" and "motivate" players.
Slot adds a twist to his approach. He instructs the squad to only ever take one touch as well as forbidding the ball from returning to the previous passer. The aim of this is to encourage better awareness of where everyone is on the field and it's gotten results.Slot's side increase their average possession in each of his three seasons in charge.
However, with all this being said, there is a word of caution. He will have big shoes to fill. The question that needs to be answered is if he can handle the pressure and the spotlight. To be fair, he's never been shy to take on the media and defend his work. This is an extension of his no-nonsense communication style extending to his dealings with journalists.
The good news is that Liverpool captain, Virgil Van Dijk, has hinted that he approves of a potential Arne Slot appointment. He said, "Arne Slot is one of the better Dutch coaches at the moment. With the way he plays, the philosophy he has, he can be a Liverpool coach. But I read and hear that it is far from complete. We shall see. We will focus on that next season, still a long way off” (as per Fabrizio Romano).
Over in Germany, Ralf Rangnick has emerged as the favourite to replace Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich. The club's first choice, Xabi Alonso, has decided to stay put at Bayer Leverkusen. As a result, they have had to look elsewhere. The next option was current German national coach, Julian Nagelsmann. Unfortunately, that choice went down the toilet when the latter name signed a contract extention until the 2026 World Cup. Ralf Rangnick then emerged as a candidate.
Rangnick is regarded as the father of gegenpressing playing style. The term "derives from the German for "counter-pressing". At its core, this means to win the ball back from the opposition immediately after losing it, preferably in advanced areas of the pitch. This essentially works as a tool for putting your opponents under intense pressure in their own defensive zone, while increasing the likelihood of your team retaining possession for longer periods of time. Modern German coaches such as Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel use this style of play.
Rangnick has confirmed the interest. He said, "Bayern Munich have contacted me and I have also informed the OFB (Austrian Football Association). We have a very trusting relationship. My focus is on the Austrian national team. We are completely focussed on the European Championship. I feel very comfortable here. At the moment, there’s no reason for me to focus intensively and specifically on that."
Fortunately, Rangnick has experience in the Bundesliga. He has managed: Vfb Stuttgart; Hannover 96; Schalke 04; Hoffenheim & RB Leipzig. In total has managed 526 games in Germany and has won 255 for a win % of 48.48. His last club gig was managing Manchester United on an interim basis. He managed 29 games and won 11 for a win % of 37.93. He currently holds a 61.90% win record as the Austrian national coach.
Finally, in Spain, Barcelona has been in the spotlight for the managerial position. After a 3-5 home loss to Villarreal on 27 January, manager Xavi announced that he would leave the club at the end of the season. This result left Barcelona ten points behind log leaders Real Madrid. The club weren't actively in the process of finding a replacement.
Oddly, Barcelona went on a good run of form after the announcement. They went 13 games unbeaten in all competitions. With Joan Laporta (Barcelona president), Rafa Yuste (Barcelona vice-president) and sporting director Deco all expressing their desire for Xavi to continue during that run.
As stated above, a replacement wasn't being soughted. Everyone in the upper offices all wanted Xavi to stay on. They got their wish yesterday when Xavi reversed his decision. Yuste said, "We had a meeting with the coach and the president in which Xavi showed us his commitment. He is a Barça guy, he is the coach who can lead our project and our young players from the club. I am convinced that he will do a great job, I am very happy for him because he is a great 'culé.'
"I am happy [with Xavi staying] because I always defended the continuity of the project he started two-and-a-half years ago. We have not talked [in the meeting] about changes in our team at all. Xavi has shown his enthusiasm and we must support him and his staff to continue with this project."
Xavi said, "I’m a huge Barca fan. I have a high level of trust with the president and the board of directors. The complicity and support of the players has also been key. I think it’s the best for the club. We have many options for the project to remain a winner.”
When asked about the fans, he added, “They made me see that the project is not finished, especially the fans. I want to thank them for their support and love.”
All these cases are interesting in their own way. Liverpool's pursuit can be best described as meticulous. They want someone who fits their style of play. It looks like they won't accept a different style or personality. To me, they want a clone of Jurgen Klopp. Bayern Munich are probably on the same line as Liverpool but from a league stance. They want a manager who knows German football and are unwilling to accept a foreigner. Barcelona, to me, don't want to add further financial pressures. If Xavi didn't stay, they would have to compensate Xavi and hire a whole new management team and possible transfer targets. If Xavi didn't stay, Barcelona would probably go into administration due to the high costs.
Recruiting managers can be very stressful and sometimes complicated. Every club has their own unique standards and requirements in which they stand by. When this happens, it can be fun to guess who will be next. It could be an obvious one, someone out of the blue or a mysterious figure.
Source Material
Clark, G. 2024. Ralf Rangnick to coach Harry Kane? Ex-Man Utd boss confirms 'contact' with Bayern Munich as he refuses to rule out leaving Austria national team. Goal.com.
Jackson, K. 2024. Who is Arne Slot? The Feyenoord manager in talks to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. The Independent.
Llorens, M. & Marsden, S. 2024. Xavi agrees to remain Barcelona coach in dramatic U-turn. ESPN
No author. 2022. What is Gegenpressing? Jobs in Football.
O'Connor-Simpson, M. 2024. Arne Slot: Why Liverpool want Feyenoord's fiery head coach to replace Jurgen Klopp. Goal.com.