Arne Slot invites offers for Feyenoord exit after 20-minute fire delay in Dutch Cup final win

A KNVB Cup final win over NEC may be one of Arne Slot’s final acts as Feyenoord coach.

The reigning Eredivisie champion claimed silverware in the 1-0 win, with PSV set to take the league title after blitzing the competition this season.

Slot’s reputation was through the roof last summer after landing Feyenoord’s first title in six years in stunning fashion, and he was widely reported to have turned down the opportunity to manage Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Confirming those reports, and opening up on his future, the 45-year-old said: “Last year I made the choice to cancel a deal with a club in the Premier League.

“It is often said in the media that I am ambitious, but I think I am also loyal. I worked at Cambuur for three years, wanted to complete four years at AZ [but was fired] and this is my third season at Feyenoord. I have said before that if a club comes along that I find very interesting, I will listen to them.

“I can say that the Premier League club I was in contact with pays a little better. But is that relevant now?

“What else should I look to do at Feyenoord? John de Wolf [assistant] just said that I should not think that I have already won all the prizes because I do not have the Johan Cruyff Shield [Dutch Super Cup] yet…”

Should Slot be on the fence about leaving, the actions of his fans may have pushed him towards an exit.

During the 1-0 victory, Feyenoord banners were allegedly set on fire and thrown into a gap between the fans and the pitch, leading to a 20-minute delay due to the smoke.

Commenting on the scenes, Slot was clearly unimpressed, saying: “It was a completely worthless thing to do.

“It reminded me of the semi-final of the cup against Ajax last year [that was stopped when Davy Klaassen got hit by a lighter]. Then the energy went out a bit.

“This final will be watched in many countries. This is not how you want to present yourself as a Dutch citizen. You don’t want this in any match. After the break there was a slight panic because they could not extinguish the fire.”