Arne Slot will reportedly be dismissed as Liverpool head coach should his side fail to secure Champions League qualification for next season. Having begun the campaign as defending Premier League champions and with £450m worth of fresh playing talent, the Reds find themselves a substantial 17 points adrift of leaders Arsenal in sixth place.
"The season I arrived here, we could only sign Federico Chiesa and that was after a Europa League season. So it does have an enormous impact on the way this club is run.
"So I'm completely aware of that. [We have to be] close to perfection because of the points we are behind."
Missing out on next season's Champions League is expected to add mounting pressure on to Slot, with his goodwill from last season's English league title triumph rapidly diminishing. Club owners Fenway Sports Group will be closely watching the situation and, according to ESPN, the Dutchman requires a 'convincing' conclusion to the campaign with Champions League qualification secured, otherwise he will 'struggle to survive' in his position at Anfield, despite being contracted until 2027.
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Slot has two potential pathways to achieve this objective, the first being a revival of Liverpool's Premier League form. Currently, a top-four finish will be necessary to secure Champions League football next term, though there is the prospect of a reprieve emerging.
Similar to last season, the overall performance of English sides in European competition so far in 2025/26 has positioned the Premier League favourably to gain an additional qualifying berth, which would be awarded to the fifth-placed team. The second avenue available to the Reds is triumph in this season's Champions League, which would represent the seventh European Cup in the club's history and the first since 2019's victory under Jurgen Klopp.
This also ensures automatic entry into next season's tournament. Presently, Liverpool have secured direct qualification for the last 16, which will begin in March. They are waiting to learn their opponents from four potential clubs who must compete in a play-off round. They are Galatasaray, Juventus, Club Brugge and Atletico Madrid.