'I simply have no clue' - Liverpool boss Arne Slot addresses Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid exit as Reds legend's sacking cranks up Anfield pressure

Enzo Maresca was the first to go, as the axe fell at Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day. Ruben Amorim was then relieved of his duties by Premier League heavyweights at Old Trafford on January 5. A week later, Alonso saw his 34-game reign at Santiago Bernabeu brought to a close.

Questions have been asked of how long Slot will remain at the Anfield helm, despite delivering title glory to Merseyside during his debut campaign with the Reds. The 2025-26 season has been a testing one for Liverpool.

Ex-Reds star Alonso is now available, having reportedly been a top target for Liverpool bosses when seeking a successor to Jurgen Klopp in 2024, and Slot is aware of the pressure that he finds himself working under in the most demanding of roles.

He is not, however, convinced that the presence of sporting directors is responsible for a flurry of shock sackings. He has told reporters: “Is it a change compared to three, four, five, six years ago? I don’t actually know, 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 (Chelsea, Man United and Real Madrid), 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 [in Pep Guardiola] 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.”

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Liverpool made Slot their first head coach when handing him the reins at Anfield, with a distinction in job title being made after previously working with a designated manager. Responsibility and leadership is now shared, rather than being lumped onto the shoulders of one person.

Slot went on to say: “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.”

Slot has overseen a 12-match unbeaten run at Liverpool - a sequence of results that stretches back to November 26 - but has seen his side held in their last four Premier League fixtures.

Relegation-threatened Burnley left Anfield with a point in the Reds' last fixture, with boos ringing out at the end of a 1-1 stalemate. Slot is not convincing everyone of his worth and will be eager to see his side - with Mohamed Salah being welcomed back from Africa Cup of Nations duty - return to winning ways in style when facing Marseille in Champions League competition on Wednesday.