Liverpool head coach Arne Slot does not believe recent high-profile managerial sackings are a sign that coaches now wield less power in the modern game.
Chelsea parted ways with Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day, while Manchester United dismissed Ruben Amorim following reported tensions with director of football Jason Wilcox, despite both being appointed in 2024.
Real Madrid also ended Xabi Alonso’s short spell by mutual consent after a Supercopa defeat to Barcelona, with former Liverpool player Alvaro Arebola taking interim charge.
Slot, who faced scrutiny during a difficult spell earlier this season, said the decisions at Chelsea, United and Madrid do not necessarily point to a wider trend at the elite level of the game.
“Is it a change compared to three, four, five, six years ago? I don’t actually know,” Slot said. “I can only speak for myself.
“I have worked for three years at my first club, should have worked four years at my second club, worked three years at my third club and now here for one and a half years.
“The clubs you are mentioning, we know with one of these clubs what kind of history they have. So I don’t know if it has changed.
“I see some managers working a long time at a club and one of our rivals has a manager (Pep Guardiola at Manchester City) who has been working for a long time.
“Mikel Arteta has been working for a long time at Arsenal. I think there will always be examples of managers who work a long time at a club and clubs where managers don’t work for a long time. But Carlo Ancelotti was a long time at Real Madrid?
“I have no clue [if it is because of the sporting director model]. I simply have no clue as to whether that has anything to do with it. It might, but you surprised me with this question. I haven’t thought about that.”
Arne Slot added: “In England there is a manager and head coach and in other countries it is usually a head coach. Like I said Ancelotti worked for a long time at Madrid and other managers did as well.
“This is not common for Real Madrid that a manager is sacked – or whatever word you want to use – that a manager is sacked so early in his career.
“Let’s see if this is constantly going to happen but I think there are other examples as well.”
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