Arne Slot has confirmed he held talks over the vacant Netherlands head coach role but decided against pursuing it further, telling Voetbal International that he wants to remain in club football for now.
Denying reports of a salary standoff
Slot used the interview to push back on reports suggesting he had walked away from discussions with the KNVB (Royal Dutch Football Association) over disagreements on salary and contract length.
“There have been several reports in recent weeks and especially in the past few days about the vacancy at the Dutch national team, in which it was suggested that I had withdrawn from the process after lengthy negotiations, including over salary and the duration of the contract,” Slot said.
He was direct in dismissing that version of events.
“That speculation is incorrect. We simply never got to that stage of the talks,” Slot said.
The vacancy and Slot’s own situation
The Netherlands job has been open since Ronald Koeman left following the team’s penalty shootout defeat to Morocco at the World Cup, a result that saw them exit in the round of 32.
Slot himself is currently out of work in club football. He led Liverpool to the Premier League title in the 2024-25 season but was sacked earlier this summer after the club finished fifth last season.
Why he stepped back from the process
Despite being out of a club job, Slot said his preference remains to be on the training ground on a daily basis, something international management does not allow for in the same way.
“At this stage of my career, I prefer to see myself on the training field with my players every day. Something that is simply not possible in the same way with a national team,” he said.
That, he explained, was the reason he chose to end discussions with the KNVB before they reached the point of negotiating terms.
“And [this is] why I chose not to continue the talks and not to start negotiations about what a possible contract could look like,” Slot said.
Not a closed door
Slot was careful to frame his decision as a matter of timing rather than a rejection of the national team altogether. He spoke positively about how the discussions with the federation had gone.
“I have a lot of respect for the national team and for the KNVB and can only be positive about the professional way in which the talks went that week. For now, I believe that club football still has a lot to offer me,” Slot added.
He went further, suggesting the national job remains something he would want at a later stage of his career.
“It would be a great honour to represent my country as national coach one day. This was just not the right time for me,” Slot said.
For now, the KNVB’s search for Koeman’s successor continues, with Slot having taken himself out of contention while keeping the possibility open for the future.
