Liverpool manager Arne Slot paid tribute to his predecessor, Jürgen Klopp, moments after his team won the Premier League title.
The Reds defeated Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield on Sunday, securing a record-equalling 20th top-flight title and making Slot the first Dutch coach to win the Premier League.
“It feels great. I don’t want to say too much. The only thing I want to do now is express my appreciation to Jürgen Klopp,” said Slot, who succeeded Klopp as Liverpool manager last summer.
The 46-year-old immediately began singing the song that Klopp had asked Liverpool fans to sing after his final game last May, but he changed the lyrics from ‘Arne Slot’ to ‘Jürgen Klopp’.
“I am 99.9% sure that if I check my phone, there will be a message from Jürgen,” he stated. “Throughout the season, we have been in contact many times. He demonstrated last season what a wonderful human being he is by introducing me.”
“But what matters most is the team he left behind, which was able to win the trophy.” Slot added, “The work that Jürgen and Pep Lijnders did—the culture, work-rate, and quality—was outstanding.”
Few expected Slot to lead a successful title charge in his first season at Anfield, not even himself.
