Arne Slot: Dutch Sports Personality of the Year Discusses Relationship with the Press

Arne Slot was named sports personality of the year by the Dutch Sports Press (NSP) on Tuesday evening. After receiving the award, Feyenoord’s trainer speaks with presenter Marcel Maijer about his relationship with the press and journalist Valentijn Driessen from The Telegraph in particular.

Maijer notes that Slot ‘shares and communicates a lot with the media’, for example during press conferences. “I always say whatever I say to my players or to my wife at home in the evening. I don’t have much to hide,” the Feyenoord coach replies.

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Slot explains that he consciously uses press conferences to share his own vision. “Almost all journalists have a podcast or a program these days. So they maintain their opinion about the Netherlands spit out. I don’t always share those opinions. The hour I have per week is also an opportunity to let people hear a different voice. I use that with some regularity. It is not that I think about it for hours, but it is true that I often have a number of things in my head that I would like to say.”

Finally, Maijer wonders whether having a good relationship with the media can lead to them being less critical of Slot. “I don’t have that idea. Certainly not the one with whom I often have a lot of fun: Valentijn Driessen,” says the trainer, laughing. “You can’t say that he has become less critical of me. But ultimately you shouldn’t take it all too seriously. Journalists have an opinion, I have an opinion. The next day it is discussed briefly, but after that no one talks about it anymore. I have a lot of fun with my own players and also with the media.”