When Arsenal final received the Ladies’s Champions League, Vic Akers was the person in cost. At that time, he had been on the helm for the perfect a part of 20 years.
Since that triumph in 2007, no supervisor has been in a position to replicate his success and information a British facet to a European title.
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That may very well be about to alter.
Simply 4 months after being named Arsenal’s head coach on a everlasting foundation, Renee Slegers has an opportunity to steer the Gunners to European glory as soon as extra.
However how has the Dutchwoman – billed because the “subsequent Sarina Wiegman” – risen up the ranks and grow to be one in every of Europe’s most promising younger coaches?
Here is the story of Slegers – the participant, the coach, and the individual behind all of it.
The ‘very clever’ participant
Slegers (left) scored 15 objectives for the Netherlands [Getty Images]
Slegers’ relationship with Arsenal goes approach again, having joined the membership’s academy on the age of 17 in 2006.
When she left the membership the next 12 months, having made one senior look, Arsenal had been freshly-crowned winners of the Champions League – or Uefa Cup because it was then recognized – beneath Akers.
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Little did Slegers know that simply 9 years later her personal enjoying profession can be over, and that in one other 9 years she can be again in north London once more – guiding Arsenal to inside touching distance of a second European trophy.
However what was Slegers like as a footballer earlier than a severe knee harm ended her profession in 2016? ‘Clever’ is the phrase that springs to thoughts from Leonne Stentler for the 55-cap Netherlands midfielder.
“You see in all the things she does that she’s very clever,” stated Stentler, who performed alongside Slegers with the Dutch nationwide facet.
“Each motion she makes on the sphere is clever. She is aware of which areas she needs to be, she was very technical – a ravishing approach.”
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The midfielder performed for Dutch facet Willem II earlier than transferring to Sweden for spells at Djurgardens and Linkoping, nevertheless it all got here to an finish when she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament harm in a pleasant in opposition to England – simply 9 months earlier than the Netherlands went on to win Euro 2017 beneath Wiegman.
“After all that is not the way you wish to finish a profession. You wish to finish on a excessive and play soccer and select whenever you wish to stop,” stated Emma Lennartsson, who performed with Slegers at Linkoping.
The ‘ideally suited subsequent coach’
Renee Slegers, centre offers a group speak at Emirates Stadium [Getty Images]
The tip of her enjoying profession marked the beginning of a vivid future in teaching.
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Nonetheless, it wasn’t all the time an apparent calling for Slegers who studied communication sciences whereas nonetheless enjoying the game.
“In my view, she was approach too clever to do one thing in teaching,” Stentler stated. “I’d say she would go work at an organization the place she would handle lots of people and simply have an enormous profession in one thing like that.”
However when phrase bought spherical that Slegers was working by way of her Uefa teaching licence, individuals began to take observe.
“From that time on in Holland, a few of the ladies’s soccer consultants had been saying ‘OK we should always wait till Renee Slegers will get her Uefa professional [licence]. Then she can be the perfect subsequent Sarina Wiegman,” Stentler added.
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“At any time when a coach was sacked or simply stop, then all the time, everybody would say Renee Slegers can be the best subsequent coach. Everybody believes so much in her.”
After ending her enjoying profession at Linkoping, Slegers stayed in Sweden for the beginning of her teaching journey – taking cost of Limhamn Bunkeflo and Sweden’s Below-23s earlier than transferring to Rosengard to educate their B group.
When Jonas Eidevall left Rosengard to handle Arsenal in 2021, she was promoted to move coach of the primary group, who she led to to back-to-back league titles earlier than Eidevall referred to as about a person participant improvement function at Arsenal in 2023.
“I used to be enjoying together with her son on the time, however we had been on the stroll when Jonas referred to as and requested her whether or not she was excited about that place,” stated Rosengard’s head of youth teaching, Jonathan Bartling, who stays good mates with Slegers, her accomplice – former Linkoping defender Maja Krantz – and their three-year-old son.
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“I labored with Jonas myself for 2 years, and I do know that he is aware of his soccer and may be very, very pushed. So I believe it was an excellent alternative, and particularly seeing now the place she’s at – it is a good projection she’s had there.”
Former Scotland defender Jen Beattie was enjoying at Arsenal whereas Slegers labored within the participant improvement function and stated she “all the time provide the time”.
“For those who could not get a solution from the pinnacle coach, you may all the time go to Renee and she or he would all the time provide the time to take a seat and chat about one thing,” Beattie stated.
Bartling stated Slegers allowed gamers to take heed to music throughout some coaching periods at Rosengard to create a relaxed atmosphere – a way she has additionally used at Arsenal [Getty Images]
Similar to at Rosengard, Slegers has labored her approach up the ladder at Arsenal – first turning into Eidevall’s assistant, after which taking interim cost when he resigned in October after a disappointing begin to the season.
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Her affect was immediate. She went unbeaten in her first 11 video games in cost – a run of fixtures that proved to be an almost-perfect audition for the everlasting place.
“Renee got here in she steadied the ship,” Arsenal left-back Katie McCabe stated.
“She instilled a confidence in us and a perception. She oozes confidence and for me, I actually belief in what she says and the way she leads this group.”
There have been some bumps alongside the highway since Slegers grew to become the Gunners’ new boss, however two spectacular comeback wins in opposition to each Actual Madrid and Lyon have booked Arsenal’s ticket to the Champions League ultimate.
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“Understanding the best way to talk” together with her gamers has been key to Sleger’s success, in accordance with Stentler, whereas Beattie believes the Dutch coach has given Arsenal participant’s confidence.
“That is typical Renee – to be sure you know each participant you are working with, know the way you strategy them and the way you need to talk with them, how one can make them take into consideration tactical concepts and pitch them to you,” Stentler stated.
Beattie added: “What she’s accomplished is take heed to gamers, understanding what they’re pondering, what they want in sure conditions and crammed them with confidence. I believe the arrogance shining by way of the gamers is seen by all on the minute.”
Jonna Andersson, who additionally performed with Slegers at Linkoping, stated: “She sees everybody. She did it as a participant as properly.”
The ‘right down to earth’ individual
Slegers has received 24 of her 32 matches in control of Arsenal [Getty Images]
Whereas Arsenal have put their followers by way of the wringer on a number of events within the Champions League this season, Slegers has reduce a composed determine on the touchline.
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Regardless of her cool manner, the 36-year-old stated after Arsenal’s comeback victory in opposition to Lyon that though she could come throughout as if she “does not really feel something” she is “not simply calm and composed”.
“She’s all the time very true to herself. She’s calm and she or he has quite a lot of calmness over her, however she additionally has quite a lot of humour so there’s this steadiness in it,” Stentler stated.
“I do not know anybody who would not like her. It is easy to be in in the identical room as Renee.
Bartling, in the meantime, sees one other facet to Slegers, who visits him typically in Sweden and the pair typically work on “handiwork tasks” collectively.
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“She’s most likely very a lot the identical individual [as on the pitch]. Perhaps not the identical quantity of adrenaline on the sideline, however very pleasant, family-orientated, right down to earth, likes to be fairly helpful,” he stated.
“We have been working a bit on renovating. I do not know the way you name it in English – it is like an allotment backyard the place you’ve this type of small home on it.
“We have been renovating the ground of a type of outdoors rooms and constructing new window panes for that room, planting and harvesting greens.”
For Slegers, Saturday’s ultimate is undoubtedly the most important second of her teaching profession to date, however the 36-year-old is already a “function mannequin” for a lot of.
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“We speak about believing your dream, and I believe that is she’s a task mannequin. I’d say I exploit her now in my work with youth coaches as a task mannequin,” Bartling added.
“She’s so firmly planted with each toes on the bottom. It is form of like an individual that that you may lean on fairly simply, regardless that she’s not that previous but.”