New clue emerges over FSG's crucial Arne Slot decision

“According to Vandaag Inside guest Valentijn Driessen, Arne Slot wants to bring the current Feyenoord assistant coach to England as soon as he has completed his coaching diploma.”

Etienne Reijnen: Situation summary

Etienne Reijnen is a former centre-back who moved into coaching and analysis after retiring in 2020, later joining Feyenoord in October 2023 as an assistant coach focused on analysis and technical advice.

He and Arne Slot go back further than Rotterdam: the pair were teammates at PEC Zwolle, and that trust underpins why Slot elevated him from analyst to a central voice in his backroom team.

Within Feyenoord’s staff structure, Reijnen effectively became Slot’s “eyes in the stands”, operating as chief analyst and technical advisor rather than a conventional touchline assistant due to licensing restrictions.

Their relationship is close enough that Slot made Reijnen a priority hire when he agreed to take over at Liverpool, initially planning for him to lead set-piece work and game analysis.

Slot publicly highlighted how much credit Reijnen deserves for Feyenoord’s set-piece strength and overall preparation, stressing that his former colleague remained highly valued when he stayed behind in Rotterdam.

Work-permit and qualification issues ultimately blocked the reunion in England, but the fact Slot pushed hard to bring him to Anfield underlines the depth of their professional trust and alignment on methodology.