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Arne Slot began his Liverpool era with a 1-0 loss to Preston North End in a pre-season fixture at the AXA Training Centre on Friday (July 19). Following Jurgen Klopp's departure at the end of last seson, the Reds announced the Dutch manager as their new head coach.
Preston, meanwhile, announced the news of their victory against the Reds on X. Irish midfielder Robbie Brady scored a 40-yard lob for the winner. The match was not open to fans or televised.
Slot put a strong squad on the pitch in his unofficial first game in charge as manager. The former Feyenoord coach used 25 players across 90 minutes, with Mohamed Salah captaining during his first-half appearance, as per the Liverpool Echo.
Apart from Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Jarell Quansah also appeared in the first half, according to journalist David Lynch.
Lynch mentioned that the Reds' second-half squad included more youngsters along with first-team players Wataru Endo and Stefan Bajcetic.
The Reds will have their first televised match of their pre-season on July 27, against La Liga club Real Betis as part of their United States tour.
Arne Slot on replacing Jurgen Klopp as new Liverpool manager
Arne Slot shared his thoughts when asked about replacing Jurgen Klopp as the new Reds manager. Speaking to the press at the AXA training center, he also mentioned his goal with the squad at Anfield(via Liverpool Echo):
"Big shoes to fill but you inherit a squad with a winning culture. One of the reasons to come here is I feel we have a really good team.
"You want to work at a club with good players and an opportunity to win something. The past shows Liverpool can win trophies. There is an opportunity to win something. I like to win, and at this club, there is an opportunity to win."
During his three-year tenure at Feyenoord, Arne Slot won the 2022–23 Eredivisie, and the 2023–24 KNVB Cup, while also being runner-up in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League.
