Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has broken his silence following manager Arne Slott’s surprise sacking, sharing a message of gratitude on social media.
Club ownership group FSG announced that they had parted ways with the Dutch tactician with immediate effect.
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The decision marks a dramatic turn of events, coming just a year after Slott famously led the Reds to a historic 20th Premier League title in his debut season.
After an eventful 2025-26 season that saw them finish fifth, the club hierarchy decided that a change of direction was needed to move Liverpool forward again.
Van Dijk posts on social media after Arne Slott’s sacking
Just hours after the club’s official statement was released, Van Dijk posted a photo on Instagram of himself wearing a Champions T-shirt and hugging his compatriot on the touchline after last season’s Premier League win.
The captain added a heartfelt caption, thanking Slott for his impact on his debut season on Merseyside. The caption read: “I’ll never forget winning the Premier League in our first season together.” Thank you trainer. And I wish you and your family all the best for the future.
Arne Slott lost his locker room in season 2
His first campaign was a huge success, bringing Premier League glory in style.
However, the second season brought turbulence. His grades have slumped, his performances have become erratic, and the atmosphere at the practice field has reportedly deteriorated.
At the heart of the deterioration was a rift between Slott and Mohamed Salah, Liverpool’s most influential player and one of the club’s greatest ever players.
It started with Salah’s bombshell interview after the game against Leeds in November, which resulted in Slott leaving him out of the Champions League game against Inter.
The public feud continued when Salah expressed concerns behind the scenes that Liverpool’s culture was deteriorating after announcing he would leave the club at the end of the season.
Salah’s words didn’t seem like an attack on anyone, but Slott didn’t see it that way and responded with a jibe at the Egyptian in his press conference before the game against Chelsea last month.
The final nail in the coffin was Salah’s social media post after Aston Villa’s defeat, in which he once again shared his concerns about the club’s future and stressed that the club needed to get back to playing “heavy metal football”.
The post was liked by many Liverpool players, showing that Slott has indeed lost his dressing room.
As manager Fabrizio Romano admitted, Salah’s post was ultimately a key factor in FSG’s decision to sack him after the season.
