AZ fired trainer Arne Slot on Saturday. The Alkmaarders report in a statement that the 42-year-old Slot was not fully focused on the club.
According to Football International and the AD AZ club management would not have been aware of the alleged talks between Slot and Feyenoord. They reported on Friday that Slot is the main candidate to succeed Dick Advocaat after this season as coach of the Rotterdammers. The AZ club management would be “very angry” about this.
“As a result of the earlier reports, we spoke with Arne. As a club we have chosen to say goodbye to each other immediately,” said Max Huiberts, director of football affairs. “At AZ we want to have a head coach for the group who is fully focused on AZ.”
The honors at AZ are provisionally taken care of by Pascal Jansen, who was assistant under Slot. Robert Franssen moves on from the youth academy and assists Jansen. AZ will play a home game against FC Groningen in the Eredivisie on Sunday (kick-off at 2.30 p.m.).
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Thursday’s Europa League match against Napoli turned out to be Arne Slot’s last match at AZ. (Photo: ANP)
AZ successful under Slot
Slot succeeded John van den Brom as trainer of AZ in 2019, after two years as an assistant at the AFAS Stadium. Under his leadership, the North Hollanders achieved great success. AZ garnered praise with the attractive combination football and finished second in the Eredivisie last season, which was ended early as a result of the corona pandemic.
This year AZ had a disappointing start, but in the meantime the team has already won four games in a row and occupies seventh place in the ranking. In the Europa League, AZ still has the winter in its own hands with one group match to go. On Thursday, there was a 1-1 draw in-house against Napoli. It turned out to be Slot’s last game.
The 42-year-old Slot started his coaching career in 2013 after he had been a professional footballer for no less than eighteen years. As a player he served, among others, FC Zwolle, NAC Breda and Sparta Rotterdam. The midfielder played no fewer than 330 games for FC Zwolle, where he also ended his professional career.
View the program, the results and the position in the Eredivisie
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