Renée Slegers

Renée Josiena Anna Slegers (; born 5 February 1989) is a Dutch football coach and former player, who is currently the head coach of Women's Super League club Arsenal.

Slegers played as a midfielder, representing Willem II, as well as Swedish Damallsvenskan clubs Djurgårdens IF and Linköping FC. She won 55 caps for the Netherlands women's national football team and appeared at UEFA Women's Euro 2013. After her retirement, Slegers began coaching in Sweden and spent two seasons as head coach of FC Rosengård. She then joined Arsenal in September 2023, serving as assistant coach under Jonas Eidevall, and became the interim coach in October 2024, following Eidevall's resignation. In January 2025, Slegers was permanently named head coach of Arsenal, signing a contract until the end of the 2025–26 season. Five months after that, she guided them into the 2024–25 UEFA Women's Champions League trophy.

Club career Youth career Slegers started her youth career with local Someren side SSE. In 2006, she moved to England to join Arsenal’s youth academy for the 2006/07 season. She lived and studied at Oaklands College while training with the Arsenal Ladies, where she was coached by Emma Hayes and Kelly Smith. On 24 January 2007, Slegers made a substitute appearance in the quarter-final of the London County Cup, as Arsenal defeated West Ham United 4–0.

Professional career In 2007, Slegers returned to the Netherlands to begin her senior career with Willem II in the inaugural season of the Eredivisie Vrouwen. She remained with the club for four seasons and finished as their top scorer in the 2009–10 season, recording five goals in 11 appearances.

In January 2011, she moved to Sweden to sign her first full-time professional contract with Djurgårdens IF. Slegers represented the Damallsvenskan side for two seasons, making 33 appearances and scoring four goals before departing the club following their relegation to the Elitettan in 2012.

Slegers moved to Linköping FC in January 2013, stating a desire to prove herself in the Damallsvenskan after injuries impacted her time at Djurgårdens. At Linköping, she won two Svenska Cupen trophies and the 2016 Damallsvenskan title.

Slegers’ playing career ended following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury sustained on 29 November 2016 while on international duty. After a period of rehabilitation, she formally announced her retirement on 24 February 2018.

International career On 5 March 2009, Slegers debuted for the senior Netherlands women's national football team, against Russia in the Cyprus Women's Cup.

In June 2013, national team coach Roger Reijners selected Slegers for the Netherlands squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013 in Sweden. She started all three group stage matches against Germany, Norway, and Iceland. In a 2015 World Cup qualification match on 10 April 2014, Slegers scored five goals in a 10–1 victory over Albania, which included a hat-trick scored in four minutes.

In 2015, Slegers missed the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada due to a pelvic injury that kept her out of competitive football for a year and a half. In March 2016, national team coach Arjan van der Laan selected Slegers for the Netherlands squad for the 2016 UEFA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, in which she appeared for the Netherlands in the games against Norway and Sweden.

On 29 November 2016, Slegers made her final appearance in a 0–1 home friendly defeat to England at the Koning Willem II Stadion, where she sustained an ACL injury. She was subsequently ruled out of UEFA Women's Euro 2017, which the Netherlands hosted and won. Slegers later announced her retirement on 24 February 2018.

Managerial and coaching career

Early career (2018–2021) Slegers coached IF Limhamn Bunkeflo's under-19 team in the 2018 season, leading the team to win the Swedish U19 Women's Championship. She was promoted to head coach of the A-team in November 2018, ahead of the 2019 season. The club finished the 2019 Damallsvenskan season with 14 points, placing 11th in the table, and were relegated to the Elitettan on goal difference. In February 2020, the club withdrew from the Elitettan due to financial difficulties.

During the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, Slegers worked as a scout for the Netherlands national team. Slegers participated in the 2019-21 UEFA Coach Mentor Programme, where she was mentored by then-Arsenal head coach Joe Montemurro. As part of the programme, she undertook a study visit to Arsenal.

In July 2020, Slegers was appointed joint head coach of FC Rosengård 1917 (the club's "B" team) alongside Elena Sadiku. The pair led the team to the 2020 Division 2 Södra Götaland title, securing promotion to Division 1. On 19 March 2021, Slegers was announced as the new head coach of Sweden women's under-23 national team, a role she held concurrently with her position at Rosengård. Following a training camp in June 2021, which involved a win over Finland and a draw against France, she resigned to take over the FC Rosengård senior team.

FC Rosengård (2021–2023)

On 28 June 2021, Slegers was appointed head coach of FC Rosengård, succeeding Jonas Eidevall mid-way through the season. She led the club to the 2021 Damallsvenskan title and a 2021-22 Svenska Cupen victory, defeating BK Häcken FF 2–1 in the final on 26 May 2022. She led Rosengård to a second consecutive Damallsvenskan title in 2022, her first full season in charge. On 17 April 2023, Slegers departed the club by mutual consent after the team recorded one point from the opening three matches of the season.

Arsenal (2023–present)

In September 2023, Slegers joined Arsenal as an assistant coach under Jonas Eidevall.

On 15 October 2024, following Eidevall's resignation as head coach, Slegers took over as interim head coach. During her interim tenure, she led the team to an eleven-match unbeaten run, consisting of ten wins and one draw. Five consecutive group stage victories saw Arsenal qualify for the Women's Champions League quarter-finals as group winners.

On 17 January 2025, Slegers was appointed head coach on a permanent basis, signing a one-and-a-half-year contract. On 24 May 2025, she led Arsenal to their second UEFA Women's Champions League title, defeating FC Barcelona Femení 1–0 in the final. The victory made Slegers the first Dutch manager to win the competition, ending the club’s 18-year wait for a second European title.

On 9 January 2026, it was announced that Slegers had signed a three-year deal until 2029. On 1 February 2026, Slegers guided Arsenal to victory in the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup final, defeating Corinthians 3–2 after extra time to become the first Intercontinental Club Champions.

Personal life Slegers was born and raised in Someren-Eind, a village in the southeastern part of North Brabant, Netherlands. Growing up alongside two younger brothers, she was inspired to take up football after watching them play, subsequently participating in both boys' and mixed-gender youth teams. She later studied communication sciences and practical philosophy at university.

At the age of 22, Slegers moved to Sweden to play in the Damallsvenskan. She spent 12 years in the country as both a player and a manager, and has stated that she feels "half-Swedish".

Slegers has two children with her partner and former Linköping FC defender, Maja Krantz.

Career statistics Scores and results list the Netherlands goal tally first. FC Rosengård 28 June 2021 17 April 2023 Arsenal 15 October 2024 Present

Honours

Player Linköping FC Damallsvenskan: 2016

Svenska Cupen: 2013–14, 2014–15

Manager FC Rosengård Damallsvenskan: 2021, February 2025, March 2025, March 2026 The Best FIFA Women's Coach finalist: 2025 Ballon d'Or Women's Coach of the Year nominee: 2025 LMA John Duncan Award: 2025 IFFHS World's Best Women's Club Coach: 2025