PLUS: The surprising career path the 36-year-old head coach briefly considered after hanging up her boots
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By TARA ANSON-WALSH
Published: 12:00 EDT, 25 May 2025 | Updated: 12:00 EDT, 25 May 2025
On a chilly, peaceful January morning at Arsenal's London Colney training ground, a sudden eruption of noise shattered the serenity.
The news had just broken: Renee Slegers, Jonas Eidevall's former assistant who had stepped up as interim manager after his resignation, was confirmed as the permanent boss. The Arsenal women's team erupted in celebration.
Well-known and already respected by the players, the 36-year-old had already begun to halt the steady decline left by her predecessor.
Arsenal were sixth in the top-flight and had suffered a 5-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener when Eidevall stepped down. Under interim boss Slegers, they rebounded with an 11-game unbeaten run, winning 10 and drawing just once across all competitions.
Hence the celebrations when Slegers had her name posted on the manager's door. The club were investing in their young and promising 36-year-old Dutch prodigy, and she quickly endeared herself to the fans by saying she wanted to win trophies 'the Arsenal way'.
Now, less than four months after that day in north London, Arsenal have managed to lift the ultimate trophy of all, beating some of the most imperious teams in club football along the way in Barcelona and Lyon.
Renee Slegers had already endeared herself to her Arsenal squad before being appointed Jonas Eidevall's successor in January
Now the 36-year-old has written her name in Gunners folklore by leading the club to victory in the Champions League
In doing so Slegers has restored Arsenal to their former glory at the pinnacle of women's football
To understand how she so dramatically turned this grand old ship around is to understand the demanding, empathetic individual beneath the calm facade.
A midfielder in her playing days with a strong passing game and vision, Slegers even spent a year with Arsenal's academy at the age of 17, learning from Emma Hayes and Kelly Smith – a period of her life which she later said was hugely influential in her understanding of the English game.
By 26, Slegers was playing in Sweden's top-flight with 55 caps for the Netherlands when a career-ending injury struck. Studying practical philosophy with a focus on sports ethics at the time, she began considering her options, including a career in journalism.
But an offer from the Swedish FA to pursue her A Licence shifted Slegers' focus to coaching, and she landed her first role with Limhamn Bunkeflo and then Sweden's Under-23s. At this point she had caught the eye of a certain Eidevall at Rosengard, and she joined him at the Swedish top-flight side to coach their B team.
When Eidevall departed Rosengard for Arsenal, Slegers took his spot, lifting back-to-back league titles before opting to join him in north London in September 2023 as his individual player development coach.
And it was in this role that her bonds with this group of players really began to forge. Slegers would sit down with them on a regular basis to analyse their strengths and weaknesses on a microscopic level – breaking down their game into their physical, technical and psychological aspects, and helping them assess how to make improvements. She would regularly ask players to problem-solve for themselves, believing that they could both learn from each other.
The players quickly grew fond of Slegers, admiring her direct yet soft-spoken manner - traits that she continues to display from the dugout, even under the utmost pressure.
Meanwhile, those on the inside at Arsenal were growing increasingly impressed by Slegers. Weighing up numerous CVs, the top brass at Arsenal kept finding their interim manager was half a step ahead of the rest of the applicants at every stage of the process. In the end, Slegers was unanimously voted in.
Part of the reason why the transition from Eidevall to Slegers was so smooth was down to their similarities in how they wanted their teams to play – on the front foot, aggressive, defensively solid, and with an emphasis on putting on a good show for their enthusiastic group of fans.
After finishing her playing career, Slegers developed her coaching skills as compatriot Eidevall's assistant in north London
However, since taking the reins Slegers has demonstrated a distinct philosophy that has got the best out of her team
The Arsenal crowd quickly took to Slegers, a feeling which is certainly mutual, with Slegers noting that Arsenal's relocation to the Emirates this season has been game-changing – the huge crowds often acting as a '12th player' on the field.
Where Eidevall's final days were defined by slow, overthought build-up play, she unshackled the team and brought a more liberated style. And Slegers made a few tweaks to the system, making the astute call to move Steph Catley to left centre back to strengthen Arsenal's defence, while also shifting Mariona Caldentey from the wing into midfield – a role the Spanish World Cup winner excelled in during the semi-final second leg against Lyon.
As for her training sessions, Slegers, with her instinctive eye for football, is meticulous. She explains to her players the way that she wants them to play and the processes to get them into those positions. She also hands over responsibility, happy to delegate to her coaching staff and to the players themselves. Having competed in the women's game herself, she found a way to relate to them on a unique level.
Insiders with close connections to the club say that Slegers never leaves players guessing about their role in the team. In games where players have been dropped, she communicates the reason why, and in the games where they are being brought on as a substitute, they come in with the belief they can impact the game.
Alessia Russo is the epitome of this. The England striker had just ended a 10-game goalscoring drought when Eidevall left but has since finished the league season as the joint Golden Boot winner.
Chloe Kelly joined the fray from Manchester City, keen to get her increasingly under-threat Euros spot back on track, and her competition with Beth Mead for the starting spot on the right wing ended up lighting both of their fires. Since Kelly joined, they pair have finished the season with five goal involvements in nine games apiece in the WSL and Champions League.
The key to both Russo's and Kelly's resurgence has been a renewed sense of enjoyment. They've often said they're playing with a smile again in Arsenal's challenging yet enjoyable culture – and the goals and assists have followed.
Against Barcelona, Arsenal absorbed the pressure with Leah Williamson marshalling the defence and captain Kim Little delivering another age-defying performance on the world stage, while Slegers' substitutions – Beth Mead and Stina Blackstenius – made the decisive impact, combining to secure the lead.
One of the biggest beneficiaries has been Chloe Kelly, who arrived on loan from Man City on deadline day
Alessia Russo has also found her goal scoring touch once again under her current boss
'Everyone who's been in the building every single day has seen that it has been growing every day because of the investment and the effort that the players have been putting in,' Slegers modestly said after Saturday's match with a gold medal hanging around her neck.
'There's been so much engagement and so much investment, so much belief and intensity. I'm so happy for everyone that everything we've been asking for, and all the months we've had and all the questions we've asked on the players, that they got the reward today.'
In the after party at the team hotel, Slegers was brought in front of everyone to receive her adulation, while Arsenal legends Vic Akers, Alex Scott, Lianne Sanderson, Karen Carney, Jen Beattie and Jordan Nobbs watched on.
After this weekend, Arsenal have one more name to add to that monumental list.