Following the departure of assistant manager John Heitinga, with Arne Slot’s number two making the move to Ajax to become the Eredivisie side’s new trainer, Liverpool have found themselves in need of a new top assistant as they prepare for the 2025-26 season and a Premier League title defence.
It appears we now know that man will be Giovanni van Bronckhorst. The Dutch legend earned over a hundred caps as a midfielder and left back for his national team and won league titles in Scotland at Rangers under Dick Advocaat, in England at Arsenal under Arsène Wenger, and in Spain at Barcelona under Frank Rijkaard.
After retiring as a player, Van Bronckhorst moved into management with head coaching stints at Feyenoord and Rangers. His most recent stop at Beşiktaş, though, was probably his least successful. With no top jobs on offer, it appears he has decided a role as Arne Slot’s assistant with the Reds is the most tempting option.
That’s the story from multiple reliable sources, and for perhaps most the reaction will be mild surprise that a man who has been a manager for the past decade is taking on the role of assisting Slot. Certainly it appears to be a big get for the Reds in theory, at least—and hopefully a move that works out for everyone.