Arne Slot has taken his first job in football since leaving Liverpool, after UEFA confirmed the Dutchman as a member of its Technical Observer Group for the 2026/27 season. The appointment, announced on Friday, ends four months in which the 48-year-old had remained out of work following his dismissal at Anfield.
Slot was sacked as Liverpool head coach on May 30, having failed to deliver on a Premier League title defence as his side finished fifth. Replaced by Andoni Iraola, who has so far overseen an unbeaten start to his reign, Slot has kept a low profile since – including turning down offers from clubs and national teams. The role gives him his first formal involvement in the game since that exit.
Why the training pitch still matters more than the Oranje job
Slot's name had been repeatedly linked with the vacant Netherlands national team job after Ronald Koeman stepped down. The former Barcelona coach Xavi ultimately got that role instead, but Slot made clear international football was never really an option for him right now.
Asked directly about the speculation by Voetbal International, Slot said: “That speculation is incorrect. We simply never got to that stage of the talks.” He added that “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.”
Clubs he turned down
The Oranje job was not the only offer on the table. As he did with advances from Fulham, AC Milan and Al-Ahli among others, he opted to turn down the offer due to its timing. Instead, Slot had recently been linked with the vacant Netherlands national team managerial role before Xavi was appointed on a four-year contract.
The UEFA panel he has joined
UEFA's Technical Observer Group is not a club job in the usual sense, but it keeps Slot inside elite football while he waits for the right dugout opportunity. UEFA's Technical Observer Group brings together experienced managers, former players and respected football figures to analyse matches across its European club competitions. Members assess tactical developments, individual performances and emerging coaching trends, supported by statistical analysis and video footage. Their findings contribute to UEFA's technical reports, providing coaches and analysts across Europe with insights into how the game continues to evolve.
Familiar faces from Anfield and the Premier League
Slot will not be short of company with Liverpool connections on the list. Slot is one of three ex-Liverpool managers on UEFA's 35-strong list, along with Rafa Benitez and Roy Hodgson. Several other names familiar to followers of the Premier League also feature.
A who's who of recent English football
Former Premier League coaches Thomas Frank, Ange Postecoglou, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag, Roberto Martinez, Sean Dyche, Avram Grant, Aitor Karanka, Kieran McKenna, Steve Cooper and Ralph Hasenhuttl are also on the list. It is a reminder of just how many well-known managers currently find themselves between jobs, a theme that has also shaped the pressure facing managers elsewhere in the division this season.
What comes next for Slot
The most intriguing part of the new role may be whose games Slot ends up studying. It is therefore likely that Slot is tasked with analysing Iraola's Liverpool in the 2026/27 Champions League, which could be a bittersweet situation for the 48-year-old. Slot led Liverpool to a Premier League title in his first season before the club's defence of that crown unravelled.
For now, the UEFA position is described as a stopgap rather than a long-term plan. For Slot, the position offers an opportunity to remain closely involved in elite European football while considering his next managerial appointment. Given the clubs already known to have made contact with him, another return to a Premier League touchline before long would not come as a surprise.