Why Arne Slot must qualify for next season’s Champions League to save his job

By Liverpool’s standards, their  Premier League   season has left much to be desired.

The defending champions have looked anything but title aspirants for large parts of a difficult 2025-26 campaign.

Here,  DAZN News reporter Ross Heppenstall says the pressure is on Reds boss Arne Slot to secure Champions League for next season to safeguard his job..

Dream ending to debut campaign

Having won the First Division title under Kenny Dalglish in 1989-90, who would have thought it would take Liverpool another 30 years before they were crowned champions of England again?

After that 30-year title drought, the Reds were finally back on their perch under Jurgen Klopp when they won the Premier League for the first time in 2019-20.

After Klopp left Anfield at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, in came Slot to deliver the league title in his first season in charge.

The success was achieved largely with Klopp’s team, of course, but was an impressive feat nonetheless by Slot following his arrival from Eredivisie side Feyenoord.

He spent three seasons there and led the team to the league title in 2023 and KNVB Cup during the 2023-24 campaign.

Before that, Slot had been the head coach of Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, who finished runners-up to Ajax in the cancelled 2019-20 campaign.

The Dutchman’s title success during his first season in charge of Liverpool sparked a huge summer spending spree and encouraged hopes of a new era of dominance.

The deadline day signing of Sweden striker Isak from Newcastle for a British record fee of £125million took Liverpool’s spending to a staggering £450million on eight players.

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Hitting troubled waters

The tragic death of hugely popular and influential Portuguese midfielder Diogo Jota in a car crash in Spain during the summer was a massive blow to all concerned at Anfield.

Not least his Liverpool team-mates, many of whom were especially close to Jota and were deeply affected by his untimely passing.

Liverpool’s Premier League opener at home to Bournemouth saw them win 4-2, the first of seven successive victories in all competitions.

But as the nights started drawing in, the storm clouds began to gather over Slot’s side.

When PSV Eindhoven thumped Liverpool 4-1 at Anfield on November 26, it marked Liverpool’s ninth defeat in 12 games in all competitions.

That marked their worst run of results since 1953 and heaped huge pressure on Slot.

The Reds stopped the rot and embarked on a 13-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

It was the longest current streak of any team from Europe's big five leagues, but was finally ended by a 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth on January 24.

Although the saga surrounding Mohamed Salah's future caused unwanted disruption, Florian Wirtz has gradually made himself at home at Anfield.

He began to justify the £116million that Liverpool paid Bayer Leverkusen for him last summer, while Hugo Ekitike has also made his mark with Isak out injured since December 20.

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Doubts over Slot persist

Despite everything he achieved last season, some Liverpool supporters began to lose faith in Slot during that horrendous run of form between late September and late November.

He has worn the look of a man feeling the pressure at times and does not appear to be as universally loved as his predecessor was.

Recently, English football legend turned pundit Wayne Rooney cast doubt on whether Slot carries the same “aura” as Klopp.

Rooney suggested Slot lacks the charisma of Klopp, who also led Liverpool to the league title, as well as the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.

He also claimed Slot will be sacked if he cannot lead the Reds to Champions League qualification this season, prompting Slot to bite back at the former Everton and Manchester United star.

But for a club who pride themselves on winning, failure to be in Europe’s premier competition next term would give the Anfield hierarchy a huge decision to make.

Liverpool are still in the FA Cup and Champions League, so could yet end the campaign with silverware, but participating in a competition they have won six times next season is non-negotiable and could hold the key to Slot’s future.

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Touch and go for top five

Finishing in the top five of the Premier League would be enough to secure another season of Champions League football.

They could, of course, guarantee their place in next season’s competition by winning a seventh European Cup this term.

Realistically, though, Liverpool will need to qualify through their Premier League placing.

Right now, they are in sixth, just below Chelsea and Manchester United, and the battle for the top places could go to the final day of the season, as it did last term.

Slot, for his part, will cling to the belief that his side can finish the campaign strongly and achieve their goal while also keeping him in position at Anfield.

How to watch the Premier League in Canada

Soccer fans in Canada can watch every Premier League match during the 2025-26 season on DAZN.

With Fubo Sports on DAZN, Canadians can catch Premier League action as well as Serie A. Additionally, DAZN is the home of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Bundesliga, and more.

For pricing information and to sign up to watch, click here.