NewsArne Slot on Ipswich Town opener and pre-season requirements
Arne Slot is looking forward to the challenge of the new Premier League campaign, though his full focus is currently set on the hard work required before it starts.
Liverpool received their 2024-25 league fixture list on Tuesday morning, with the new head coach's reign beginning at Portman Road with a trip to face promoted side Ipswich Town on August 17.
That encounter will be followed by the visit of Brentford to Anfield a week later - Slot's first competitive home game in charge of the Reds - ahead of a clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford to round out the opening month of top-flight action.
On his side's meeting at Ipswich, Slot told Liverpoolfc.com: "And they've told me it's going to be 12.30… from what I know, Jürgen [Klopp] complained a lot about this so probably they thought, with Jürgen being out let's put them at 12.30 again!
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Watch on YouTube"No, it's different to a normal 12.30 because it's not after a game in Europe. Looking forward to it. A promoted team so it's going to be special for them as well.
"I think every team might prefer a home game to start with, but we're going to face Ipswich and we are looking forward to that."
However, Slot will of course first oversee his maiden pre-season in charge with the club when his senior squad begin returning to Merseyside next month.
Liverpool's preparations will initially start at the AXA Training Centre, before plans including a visit to the USA for friendlies against Real Betis, Arsenal and Manchester United.
Slot's first match at Anfield in a competitive environment is scheduled for August 24, when Thomas Frank's Brentford make the trip north from the capital.
"Every new club you go to and it's your first home game, it's special," he said about that prospect.
"I remember it being special at Feyenoord and I'm expecting it to be really special here in Liverpool as well. But like I said, the first thing I'm going to look at is the first training session we have and then afterwards all the sessions that come after and games we will play.
"We have to take this really seriously to be the best possible team we can be at the first game at Ipswich and the second game, the home game against Brentford."
On his excitement for experiencing Anfield, he added: "Yeah, but I think everybody would tell you in football you go game by game, and the first and most important one is Ipswich.
"But if I say this and the players would listen to this, they would get the wrong impression of me, because the friendly games are really important for us to be in the best possible position for the Ipswich game."
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