TOTTENHAM have been dealt a blow in their managerial search as Arne Slot’s assistant has ruled out joining the club.
The North London club are keen on Slot, 44, after he led his Feyenoord side to the Dutch Eredivisie title on Sunday.
John De Wolf (left) celebrates with Feyenoord manager Arne Slot (right) after the club won the Eredivisie on SundayRex
But his assistant manager, John De Wolf, has said he has no intention of following Slot to the Premier League should he join Spurs.
De Wolf, 60, told Dutch broadcaster NPO, via Sport Witness, that his loyalty to Feyenoord would make it impossible for him to follow Slot to the Lilywhites.
He said if Slot were to join Spurs: “Then I wish him a good challenge. This is my club, this is where I belong, this is my home. I still get goose bumps every day when I drive over the (Rotterdam) bridge.”
De Wolf made 111 appearances as a player for Feyenoord between 1989 and 1994 before joining Wolves for two seasons between 1994 and 1996.
He re-joined Feyenoord as an assistant manager in 2019 and served under manager Jaap Stam and Dick Advocaat before Slot joined in 2021.
He told NPO that Slot and his staff are planning a major party to celebrate their league title victory but he has not yet spoken to Slot about the manager’s future.
He said: “We didn’t talk about that at all. I once said in the early stages, don’t listen to any other club in the Netherlands anyway.”
Tottenham are keen on appointing Slot after he impressed in his stint as Feyenoord manager.
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Since joining the Rotterdam club ahead of the 2021-22 season, Slot guided the club to the Europa Conference League final, where they lost to a Roma side managed by former Spurs manager Jose Mourinho.
Slot lost again to Mourinho’s Roma in this year’s Europa League quarter-final as part of a growing rivalry.
Mourinho taunted Slot after the game, berating the Dutchman in the tunnel and demanding he show him “respect”.
But Slot confirmed Feyenoord’s first league title since 2017 with a 3-0 victory over Go Ahead Eagles.
Spurs have been without a permanent manager since sacking Antonio Conte in March.