Arsenal have unveiled Renee Slegers as their next permanent head coach.
The 35-year-old signed a contract according to which she will lead the team until the end of the 2025/26 season. Slegers first arrived in north London as an assistant coach in September 2023, but had previous links to the club, having played in Arsenal academy during the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
She was thrown into interim post in the short term last October, next Resignation of Jonas Eidevall. Since then, she has led the Gunners on a terrifying run. Under her leadership, the team went undefeated, winning 10 games and drawing only one.
The club are said to have carried out a very thorough scouting process in their search for a new manager, interviewing several candidates from around the world.
Director of Women’s Football, Clare Wheatley, said: “Renee has been a standout candidate throughout the process and we are delighted to continue our journey with her as our permanent head coach.
“Renee understands the values and ambitions of our club, with experience representing Arsenal both as a young player and now as a coach. We are fully confident that she is the best person to take us forward as we compete for trophies this season and beyond.”
Despite Arsenal’s intent to ensure Slegers was the right man for the job, fans were already ready after 3-2 triumph over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Women’s Champions League late December. The North Shore at Meadow Park roared as the red and white faithful chanted, “We’ve got a great Renee Slegers, she knows exactly what we need!”
“I’m so excited to continue our journey together,” Slegers told Arsenal fans. “It is a wonderful honor to represent this club as the head coach and I believe so much in what we can achieve together.
“It meant the world to me to feel the closeness and passion of our fans during this process and I want to thank you all for that. We want to deliver something beautiful that is inspiring and leads to winning trophies. We all have a big part to play in making that happen,” Slegers added.
Confirmation of the appointment will mean Arsenal will get clarity on the return of Barclays Women’s Super League this weekend, as the team prepares to host Crystal Palace at Meadow Park.
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