Arsenal Women confirm Slegers as Head Coach

Following an impressive unbeaten streak, it comes as no surprise that Arsenal have named Renée Slegers the new Head Coach of the women’s side. Initially the interim coach after Jonas Eidevall’s sudden departure last October, Slegers has proved her potential as the permanent replacement across the 11 games she oversaw prior to the announcement.

Arsenal appeared out of form at the start of the season in the Women’s Super League (WSL), only winning one of their first four games under Eidevall. Failing to make the group stage in the Champions League last season only furthered the exasperation of the fans, as well as the lack of consistency in performances across cup and league matches. While Eidevall claimed two consecutive wins of the Continental League Cup during his time at Arsenal, the lack of silverware and progress up the league was noticeable.

This season, Arsenal faced significant losses to both Chelsea and Bayern Munich early on, which, following the disappointment of the previous season, only cemented the lack of trust in Eidevall. It was clear that Eidevall’s run was coming to an end once the words ‘JONAS OUT’ had been graffitied on a wall outside the Emirates Stadium before the Chelsea game (2-1 loss). Within the following 48 hours, Jonas Eidevall had resigned.

The change in form seemed immediate, with players noting the calming influence of their temporary coach

Renée Slegers, the Dutch assistant coach at the time, became the interim coach for the team while the club looked for a replacement. During this time, Slegers undoubtedly proved herself a worthy candidate, remaining unbeaten both in the Champions League and the WSL, and racking up a total of 31 goals scored with only five conceded in 11 games. This marked their most successful winning conclusion to a calendar year since 2019.

The change in form seemed immediate, with players noting the calming influence of their temporary coach. Slegers as coach appears to have re-awakened Alessia Russo’s goal-scoring abilities after the dry spell she seemed to suffer under Eidevall. In nine appearances with Eidevall, Russo was successful in front of goal only once, but under Slegers, she has scored 10 times in 11 games.

As such, her impressive run in the WSL saw her claim the Barclays Women’s Super League Manager of the Month last December, and the five straight wins in the Champions League meant Arsenal qualified for the quarter-finals at the top of Group C.

Described as the “stand-out candidate,” by Clare Wheatley, the Director of Women’s Football at Arsenal, Slegers was announced as the new head coach on 17th January, signing a contract extending until the end of the 2025/2026 season. Curiously, Slegers has succeeded Eidevall before, assuming the role of head coach in Rosengard where she claimed two league titles consecutively in 2021 and 2022.

Fans appear grateful for the change in management, with some calling it, “The Reneesance”

Renée Slegers is no stranger to Arsenal, having been a part of the youth academy from 2006 to 2007, and then returning as assistant coach in 2023. Mikel Arteta, head coach of the men’s side, comments on this, noting that “promoting someone that was already with us is a very strong signal and a very good decision.”

Slegers says she’s “excited” for the new role, explaining how “it’s a wonderful honour to represent this club as head coach.” She affirms “We want to deliver something beautiful that’s inspiring and leads to winning trophies.”

Fans appear grateful for the change in management, with some calling it “The Reneesance.”

“All I hope is that this isn’t one of those times where someone does well as caretaker and then regresses once made permanent,” says one fan, in reaction to the news.

Renée Slegers has shifted the atmosphere surrounding Arsenal, bringing the team up to third from fifth in the WSL. She proves promising as a coach, and as a role model for pushing the women’s game: “Great to have another woman manager in the WSL.”