Arne Slot REVEALS what Jurgen Klopp told him about Liverpool takeover

Under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool enjoyed a level of European dominance not seen since the heyday of legendary manager Bob Paisley.

Three Champions League finals in five years is only surpassed by the three European Cup victories between 1967-77 and 1980-81. As it was before, European success is again firmly embedded into the DNA of Liverpool Football Club.

As a result, head coach Arne Slot faces stiff expectations if he wants his name to be placed in the pantheon of Klopp, Paisley and Shankly before him. 

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Speaking to UEFA.com, Slot has admitted that it is the ethos of the team set by the German manager before him that will allow him to achieve this success.

"The culture of this team, the culture of this club, the hard work… Sometimes, if you come to a new club, you need to get that culture in, but that was absolutely not necessary over here.

"I inherited a lot of quality", Slot continued, "but maybe even more importantly, I inherited a team, a club that was already fully focused on hard work and trying to get the best out of the team and individuals every single day... it was nice to see that it was just like Jurgen told me, because he told me that that was the culture and I experienced it from the start."

Arne Slot influenced by Pep?

Teams can go through periods in which they seem to have lost touch with their sense of self. Liverpool fans are more than aware of this and Slot is all too aware of the fortune he’s fallen upon in arriving at the institution when he did. But every manager puts their own stamp on what the culture of the club means and Slot will be no exception.

Speaking on what has influenced his style as a manager, Slot referenced the great Barcelona teams coached by Pep Guardiola and said:

"I was lucky enough that then the Barcelona team started playing, and I saw similar patterns, not in terms of how we play it, but more: OK, this ball which we sometimes play – and Barcelona constantly plays – leads to success. And that's helped me create my own philosophy about football.’

That legendary Barcelona team were heavily influenced, of course, by Dutch legend Johan Cruyff and the ‘total football’ that was implemented by manager Rinus Michels in the 1970s. With the Liverpool manager taking inspiration from them in turn, it can only be hoped that Liverpool are in for another glorious period much like those that came before.