Liverpool Draw Up Three Man Shortlist To Replace Arne Slot

Liverpool shocked the footballing world when they announced the sacking of Arne Slot this afternoon, despite all signs pointing towards the Dutchman getting another season as head coach. 

In the announcement, the club stated: "...the process to appoint a successor is under way."

David Ornstein reports that while Andoni Iraola is the clear favorite to take over as Liverpool coach, the club may still talk to other candidates.

 Amongst those under consideration are VFB Stuttgart's Sebastian Hoeneß, who helped his side secure Champions League qualification, and Pierre Sage of Lens, who battled PSG for the league and won the Coupe de France. However, Andoni Iraola is the leading contender for the Liverpool Job after leaving Bournemouth, helping them secure European football for the first time in their history. 

Hoeneß was appointed as Stuttgart manager in April 2023, as he returned to where his playing career had begun and saved Stuttgart from relegation via play-off. In his first full season, Stuttgart were celebrating a return to the Champions League, thanks to a remarkable 2nd place finish behind Bayer Leverkusen.

Stuttgart scored 78 goals during the season, with the sudden emergence of Serhou Guirassy,  perfectly encapsulating Hoeneß's transformative impact on his players.

READ MORE: Arne Slot Sacked As Liverpool Manager

Stuttgart impressed with their style of play on the international stage in 2024/25, pushing reigning European champions Real Madrid to the brink before getting a famous win at Juventus. One of the most memorable achievements, however, was their run to DFB Pokal final success, Stuttgart's first major trophy win for almost 20 years. 

Pierre Sage is known for modern football. His teams usually use pressing, quick transitions, structured defensive shape, and fluid attacking movement, with one of his main strengths being calm decision-making.

He led Lens as they battled with PSG for the Ligue 1 title, finishing 2nd as their memorable league campaign came to an end. They did end up making history with silverware as they won their first-ever Coupe De France in a 3-1 win over Nice on May 22. He was named the UNFP Manager of the year by his peers.

Both Hoeness and Sage have done remarkably well with their teams while playing attacking football one way or another. For me, personality matters a little bit as well, and I am fascinated by Hoeneß and the passion he showed in different moments. The energy he showed reminded me of Jurgen Klopp, and the cap, of course!

The main concern was Arne Slot staying at the club. Now that this is not happening, the club can focus on getting things right, and given the options so far, I am confident they'll get it right.

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