Ex-Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has gifted Roberto Martinez the perfect chance to land another huge managerial job after pulling out of talks
Roberto Martinez has ended his time in charge of Portugal
Roberto Martinez left his role as Portugal head coach last month(Image: Hannah Peters - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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Former Everton boss Roberto Martinez is in talks about becoming the next Netherlands head coach.
Martinez has spent the last decade in international football. The 53-year-old worked for seven years in the Belgium national team before joining Portugal, where he had been for the last three years up until last month. Indeed, he departed Portugal after they were knocked out of the 2026 World Cup in the last 16 by Spain.
But now, according to reports in the Netherlands, Martinez is the frontrunner to replace Ronald Koeman as the new Dutch national team head coach after Arne Slot pulled out of the process.
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Ex-Liverpool boss Slot, who left the Reds in May, had been in negotiations with the KNVB about moving back to the Netherlands but he has since withdrawn because he wants his next job to be in club football.
"Over the past few weeks, and particularly the past few days, various reports have appeared regarding the vacancy at the Dutch national team, suggesting that I had withdrawn from the process after lengthy negotiations, including regarding salary and contract duration," Slot told Voetbal International.
"That speculation is incorrect. We simply never reached that stage of the talks."
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.
Arne Slot left his role as Liverpool head coach in May(Image: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
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Slot won the Eredivisie in 2023 while he was the Feyenoord manager and hasn't ruled out taking over the Netherlands, who crashed out of the recent World Cup with a Round of 32 defeat to Morocco, in the future.
"At this stage of my career, I prefer to see myself on the training pitch with my players every day. Something that is simply not possible in the same way with a national team," Slot added.
"And (this is) why I chose not to continue the talks and not to start negotiations on what a possible contract might look like. I have enormous respect for the national team and for the KNVB and can only be positive about the professional manner in which the talks proceeded that week.
"For now, I believe that club football still has a lot to offer me. It would be a great honour to represent my country as national coach one day. However, this was not the right moment for me."
Liverpool confirmed Slot's exit soon after the Reds drew 1-1 against Brentford on the final day of the Premier League season. The Dutchman had guided Liverpool into the Champions League but the club felt a change needed to take place, despite giving him their backing across the season.
Slot has since been replaced by former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola at Anfield and his first competitive game in charge is set to be against Newcastle United at St James' Park later this month.