Arne Slot‘s final game before leaving Feyenoord to take over at Liverpool will see thousands of fans missing from the stands of De Kuip in Rotterdam.
Feyenoord are all but guaranteed to finish second in this season’s Eredivisie, with PSV Eindhoven needing a point from their next three games to seal the title.
It marks an impressive end to Slot’s reign in charge, with the 45-year-old signing off having already won the KNVB Cup this season.
His farewell game will come at home to Excelsior on May 19, but it will be a muted occasion after Feyenoord were sanctioned by the Dutch FA this week.
Following the use of pyrotechnics by fans during the KNVB Cup semi-final against FC Groningen in February, four blocks of the Gerard Meijer Tribune stand – the dedicated home end – will be empty.
This means thousands of the most vocal supporters will not be permitted entry, with the club punished following repeated offences in the stand.
Slot’s send-off would likely have been led by these sections, but instead his final game in charge of Feyenoord will be drained of its atmosphere.
The Dutchman is reported to have already signed off on his switch to Liverpool, taking over from Jurgen Klopp in the role of head coach at the end of the season.
Liverpool agreed a compensation deal with Feyenoord would around €11 million, which includes the release of assistant manager Sipke Hulshoff, head of performance Ruben Peeters and technical advisor Etienne Reijnen.
Their work will begin as early as possible, though the summer’s preparations will be impacted by the Euros held in Germany between June 14 and July 14.
The Reds’ first pre-season friendly is currently scheduled for July 26, facing Real Betis in the United States, with training expected to begin at the AXA Training Centre earlier in the month.
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On Tuesday, Liverpool announced a new five-year extension to their deal with AXA, who sponsor the club’s training kits and sites at Kirkby and Melwood.
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