Last April, Arne Slot and Ruben Amorim were involved in title races in the Netherlands and Portugal, respectively. But in the background, the two coaches were facing off in the race to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
Amorim was believed to be the frontrunner and in early April he moved to deny that he had conducted an interview with Liverpool or signed any agreement, insisting his only focus was on the Primeira Liga title race. Later in the month, Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes flew out to Rotterdam to meet Slot, who then confirmed that negotiations were taking place and that he was "in the waiting room".
Now, nine months after Slot won the battle for the Anfield hotseat, he will meet Amorim for the first time time when a haggard Manchester United take on an all-conquering Liverpool. And the Reds' decision to pick the Dutchman over the Portuguese is looking like a masterstroke.
