Arsenal have appointed Renee Slegers as Jonas Eidevall’s everlasting successor following a extremely profitable interval as interim head coach.
Slegers, put in non permanent cost, has overseen 10 wins from 11 matches in a three-month unbeaten run, as Arsenal rose from fifth to 3rd within the WSL and secured automated qualification within the Champions League.
The 35-year-old Dutchwoman has signed a contract by means of to the top of the 2025-26 season.
Eidevall resigned in mid-October after three years in cost. The choice got here after a defeat to Chelsea, with Arsenal solely managing one win from their opening 4 Ladies’s Tremendous League video games.
Slegers is a former Netherlands worldwide midfielder and had been a part of Arsenal’s backroom workforce since 2023 following a two-year spell answerable for Rosengard, the place she received back-to-back Swedish league titles in 2021 and 2022.
“I’m so excited to be continuing our journey together,” stated Slegers. “It is a great honour to characterize this membership as head coach and I’ve a lot perception in what we will all obtain collectively.
“Over the previous few months, I’ve felt such a robust sense of collective possession and duty throughout our gamers and workers – that has been our energy and I do know we’ll be sure that we drive and nurture this sense as all of us transfer ahead.
“It has meant the world to me to feel the closeness and passion of our supporters during this process, and I want to thank you all for that. We want to deliver something beautiful that’s inspiring and leads to winning trophies. We all have a big part to play in achieving that.”
Slegers, who earned 55 caps for the Netherlands earlier than retiring in 2016, hung out at Arsenal’s youth academy between 2006 and 2007, and in addition represented Dutch facet Willem II and Swedish sides Djurgardens and Linkoping.
Arsenal are flying underneath boss Renee Slegers
Arsenal’s director of ladies’s soccer Clare Wheatley added: “We’re delighted to appoint Renée as our permanent head coach. Renée has excelled during her time as interim head coach, bringing our team, club and supporters together and leading us to a hugely impressive run of results and performances.
“Now we have undertaken a radical recruitment course of geared toward figuring out one of the best candidate to steer our girls’s first workforce at this thrilling time. Renée was the stand-out candidate all through the method and we’re thrilled to be persevering with our journey along with her as our everlasting head coach.
“Renée understands the values and ambitions of our club, with experience of representing Arsenal both as a young player and now in a coaching capacity. We have every confidence that she is the best person to take us forward as we compete for trophies this season and beyond.”
Arsenal play Crystal Palace at Meadow Park on Sunday, with an opportunity to maneuver above Manchester Metropolis into second within the WSL desk.
Slegers has been Arsenal’s regular hand – she deserves her shot
Sky Sports activities’ Laura Hunter:
It has been 94 days since Jonas Eidevall walked out of Arsenal. The Gunners have performed 11 video games since that gloomy day in October, successful 10 and drawing one. The uptick has been pronounced, in each outcomes and efficiency, and the person credited is Renee Slegers.
Quite a few coaches from world wide have been thought of for Arsenal’s everlasting place, however none with such a compelling file within the scorching seat. Slegers was the candidate lucky sufficient to already be on the within – an apparent benefit – however her commencement from interim boss is not any much less deserved.
Some billed the Dutchwoman as a shoo-in, this journalist included, however such commendation has been earned with outcomes obtained the ‘Arsenal manner’, and with a powerful present of energy to make a clear break from adversity.
Merely, she has been the membership’s steadying hand
Learn the total characteristic on Arsenal’s turnaround underneath Slegers.
