Arne Slot was sacked by Liverpool just a year after winning the league title. It might seem harsh but the club felt it wanted to go in a different direction, and they distrusted him after the woes of last season.
Now you would think that success buys a manager time, and it does, but you would also be surprised to see the number of managers who have been sacked a year or less after winning the league title with a club.
Here are Slot and other managers whose success has not prevented the boot.
Arne Slot, Liverpool
Slot’s first season at Liverpool could hardly have gone better. Tasked with succeeding Jurgen Klopp, he guided the club to the Premier League title in 2024-25, finishing 10 points clear at the top. But the momentum did not last. Despite £450m spent in the transfer window Liverpool’s title defence unravelled during his second season, ending with a fifth-place finish and a gap of 25 points to the champions. Early exits from cup competitions added to the pressure, and a dispute with a disaffected Mohamed Salah did not help his position. There were boos at Anfield by the end of the season and the club decided after a performance review that a change was necessary.
Claudio Ranieri, Leicester City
Few achievements in modern football compare to Leicester City’s Premier League title in 2015-16. Ranieri led a team that had started the season as potential relegation contenders but then secured one of the most remarkable triumphs in sporting history.
The following season brought a dramatic decline. Leicester struggled for form, drifted towards the relegation zone and looked increasingly vulnerable. Despite signing a new contract shortly after the title win, Ranieri was dismissed in February 2017 with the club back fighting to preserve its Premier League status.
📅 #OnThisDay in 2015, Claudio Ranieri was appointed Leicester City manager.
…and the rest, as they say, is history 💙 pic.twitter.com/yjxb7lvHof
— Leicester City (@LCFC) July 13, 2023
Jose Mourinho, Chelsea
Mourinho had two spells at Chelsea where he was sacked less than a year after winning the Premier League. First he arrived in 2004 and transformed Chelsea, delivering back-to-back Premier League titles and establishing the club as England’s dominant force. But in his third season results were mixed and tensions with owner Roman Abramovich had become increasingly apparent. Chelsea dismissed Mourinho only weeks into the 2007-08 campaign despite his recent success.
The Portuguese returned to Stamford Bridge in 2013 and quickly restored the Blues to the top of English football, winning another Premier League title in 2014-15. But there was another collapse afterwards. Chelsea lost nine of their first 16 league matches the following season and fell alarmingly close to the relegation places. Seven months after winning the title, Mourinho was gone once again.
Roberto Mancini, Manchester City
Mancini secured his place in Manchester City’s history by delivering their first league title in 44 years. The dramatic finale to the 2011-12 season and that Sergio Aguero goal remain one of the defining moments of the Premier League era. A year later he was dismissed. City had failed to retain the title, finished well behind Manchester United and were preparing for a new direction under new leadership. Mancini left before the end of the 2012-13 campaign.
Antonio Conte, Chelsea
Conte won the Premier League in his first season in 2016-17 and followed it up with an FA Cup triumph in his second. But a fifth-place finish in the league meant missing out on Champions League qualification, while elimination in the last 16 of Europe’s premier competition added to the disappointment. The club removed Conte in the summer of 2018.
Frank Rijkaard, Barcelona
Rijkaard oversaw one of Barcelona’s most successful periods, winning consecutive La Liga titles and leading the club to Champions League glory in 2006. The decline followed quickly. Barcelona surrendered domestic supremacy and finished third in La Liga in 2007-08. A heavy defeat by Real Madrid symbolised a disappointing season, and club president Joan Laporta opted for change. Rijkaard was replaced by Pep Guardiola.
Xavi Hernandez, Barcelona
Xavi restored belief at Barcelona in the midst of financial crisis after returning as head coach in 2021. His side won La Liga in 2022-23 but performances were poor and the following season produced no major trophies. The club’s hierarchy were unconvinced by the team’s style of play and the club decided to move in a different direction. Hansi Flick was appointed as his successor.
🎙️ Xavi: “The experience has been spectacular. I am grateful to the Club for the opportunity.” pic.twitter.com/wYj0YWhdPa
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 25, 2024
Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid
Mourinho delivered Real Madrid’s first league title in four years during the 2011-12 season, ending Barcelona’s domestic dominance under Guardiola. But maintaining that level was difficult and Madrid fell significantly behind Barcelona in the next title race. Internal tensions also rose remarkably in Mourinho’s final months and he was asked to leave in May 2013.
Fabio Capello, Real Madrid
Capello’s relationship with Real Madrid was complicated despite winning trophies. His second spell ended just 11 days after he guided the club to the 2006-07 La Liga title. Madrid’s hierarchy admired the results but were unhappy with his pragmatic style of football. Remarkably, his first spell a decade earlier had ended in similar fashion despite delivering another league title.
Maurizio Sarri, Juventus
Sarri’s only season at Juventus ended with a Serie A title, extending the club’s dominance to nine consecutive championships. The achievement was not enough to secure his future. Juventus were eliminated by Lyon in the Champions League round of 16 and club executives concluded that progress had not matched expectations. Sarri was dismissed within weeks of winning the title.
Julian Nagelsmann, Bayern Munich
Nagelsmann won the Bundesliga in his first season at Bayern Munich and appeared to be building a long-term project at Germany’s biggest club. Instead, he was dismissed during the 2022-23 campaign. Bayern were still competing for the title and sat only a point behind Borussia Dortmund. The decision surprised many observers, though Bayern ultimately won the title under Thomas Tuchel.
Carlo Ancelotti, Bayern Munich
Ancelotti’s debut season at Bayern ended with a Bundesliga title but his second season was far less convincing. Bayern slipped to third in the league table early in the campaign and a heavy Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain convinced the hierarchy that he was not the one. He was dismissed in September 2017, barely a year after winning the title.
Mauricio Pochettino, Paris Saint-Germain
After years of near misses elsewhere, Pochettino finally collected major silverware at Paris Saint-Germain, including the Ligue 1 title in 2021-22. Even so, he had lost the title in his first season and there was no progress in the Champions League, which mattered most to PSG. Pochettino was dismissed after only 18 months in charge.
