Arne Slot has been sacked as head coach of Liverpool.
The Dutchman departs only a year after leading the Reds to their 20th league title, following a disappointing fifth-placed finish in his second season in charge.
A Liverpool statement announcing Slot’s exit read: “That this was a difficult decision for us to make as a club goes without saying.
“The contribution Arne has made to Liverpool FC in the time that he has been with us has been significant, meaningful and – most importantly of all to supporters and ourselves – successful
“As such, our appreciation for everything he has achieved could not be greater, particularly as it was underpinned by a work ethic, a diligence and a level of expertise which further underlined our view that he is a leader in his field.
“At the same time, we have collectively come to the conclusion that change is necessary in order for the club to keep moving forward. Again, it must be stressed that this is not a decision which has been reached lightly, anything but.
“We would like to take this opportunity to place on record our appreciation for Arne, who will always hold a special place in the history of this football club as the coach who delivered Liverpool’s 20th league title.”
Liverpool had not intended to part ways with Slot during the season but came to the conclusion that a change of leadership was required after reassessing the situation at the end of the campaign.
Liverpool’s fifth-placed finish was enough to secure Champions League qualification but with only 60 points, they finished the campaign with their lowest total since 2015/16.
Liverpool are now expected to commence formal talks with Iraola over the vacant head coach position.
The Spaniard has been in negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen after appearing to cool talks with AC Milan earlier this week.
However, amid those talks, Sky in Italy reported that Iraola was still open to the Liverpool job despite no vacancy being open at Anfield at the time.
