Since taking over at Liverpool, Arne Slot has been making subtle yet impactful adjustments to the club’s routine, one of which mirrors a strategy used by Pep Guardiola at both Barcelona and Manchester City. While some coaches overhaul team culture upon arrival, Slot has opted for fine-tuning rather than a complete transformation.
Under Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool followed a pre-match routine of staying at a hotel the night before home games. Initially, the team stayed at Hope Street Hotel and later at the Titanic Hotel. However, Slot has done away with this tradition, allowing players to sleep at home before home matches. This was first seen before Liverpool’s win against Brentford and a friendly against Sevilla at Anfield.
On match day, the team gathers for a morning meeting before taking the bus together to Anfield.
Inspired by Guardiola’s Approach
This change is reminiscent of a similar adjustment made by Pep Guardiola during his stints at Barcelona and Manchester City. Guardiola explained his reasoning by saying, “People don’t spend the day before work locked up in a hotel. We just try to make things the same for them. If they don’t rest, they’ll play worse and lose their jobs. I judge my players on their work, not their private lives.”
Guardiola’s approach aimed to treat players more like professionals in other fields, encouraging them to rest at home and maintain a sense of normalcy in their routines.
Former Barcelona captain Xavi praised this change, describing it as liberating for the team. In Guillem Balague’s biography Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning, Xavi said, “Two of the most important novelties were the move to the training ground and getting rid of the hotel meetings.”
While Klopp undoubtedly had strong reasons for keeping his team together in a hotel before games, Slot’s new approach offers Liverpool players 24 extra nights at home over the course of the season. With a demanding schedule that includes European and international commitments, this change could help players maintain a healthier work-life balance, something that could prove beneficial for Slot and his squad.