I want now to feel this from the other side.
Iraola replaces Arne Slot after Liverpool finished 25 points behind Arsenal with their lowest points tally since 2015-16, prompting leadership to seek a more aggressive playing style. The 43-year-old Spaniard has a track record of overachieving at smaller clubs, most recently delivering Bournemouth's finest top-flight season and beating Liverpool multiple times last year.
- Andoni Iraola, 43, appointed on two-year contract replacing Arne Slot
- Liverpool finished with 60 points, 25 behind Arsenal, lowest total since 2015-16
- Iraola guided Bournemouth to sixth place and beat Liverpool multiple times last season
- Liverpool spent £450 million in previous summer window, including £125m on Isak and £116m on Wirtz
Liverpool confirmed Andoni Iraola as new head coach on a two-year deal, replacing sacked Arne Slot. The former Bournemouth manager, who guided the Cherries to sixth place, expressed readiness to lead the club to titles.
Andoni Iraola is now Liverpool's head coach. The club announced the appointment on a two-year contract, ending weeks of speculation about who would replace Arne Slot after his sacking on Saturday. Slot had guided Liverpool to the Premier League title just a year earlier, but the club's leadership decided the time had come for a different approach—one more aggressive, more urgent, more front-footed than what the departing manager had delivered.
The numbers tell the story of why change felt necessary. Liverpool finished this past season with 60 points, their lowest total since 2015-16, and found themselves 25 points adrift of Arsenal, who won the league. Despite that collapse, the club still qualified for next season's Champions League, a small mercy. Michael Edwards, Fenway Sports Group's chief executive of football, and sporting director Richard Hughes made the decision together: they wanted a manager who could extract more from the £450 million Liverpool had spent in the previous summer window—a British transfer record for a single window. That spending included Alexander Isak, signed from Newcastle for £125 million, and Florian Wirtz, bought from Bayer Leverkusen for £116 million.
Iraola, 43, arrives from Bournemouth, where he had just completed his finest season in the Premier League. The Cherries finished sixth, only one position and three points behind Liverpool, and earned a place in next season's Europa League. He had announced in April that he would leave the south coast club this summer, and he had been linked with Crystal Palace and AC Milan before Liverpool moved decisively. The appointment carries particular resonance because Hughes, now at Liverpool, had been the technical director at Bournemouth when Iraola was hired there in 2023. The two men know each other's work intimately.
When Iraola spoke to the media after his appointment, he struck a tone of respect mixed with readiness. He called Liverpool "a massive club, one of the biggest in the world," and said he understood the weight of expectation. "You don't need a lot of things to get attracted by Liverpool," he said. "Liverpool is Liverpool." He spoke of the chance to coach elite players and fight for titles, but he was careful not to promise everything. "When you arrive at a place, you cannot promise everything," he said. "But it's true that I understand where I'm coming and what is expected. I'm ready for the challenge."
He recalled a moment from nearly ten months earlier, when Bournemouth visited Anfield and Federico Chiesa scored a late winner. "The place erupted," Iraola said. "It was crazy, no? I want now to feel this from the other side." He spoke of needing to prove himself quickly, to earn the right to belong, and to celebrate with the fans. He is understood to be keen to bring Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper, his assistants at Bournemouth, to his coaching staff at Anfield.
Iraola's career has been defined by overachievement at smaller clubs. He spent 15 years as a player at Athletic Club, a Basque institution that only signs players with regional ties, and captained them to two Copa del Rey finals, a Europa League final, and Champions League qualification. His playing career took him to New York City FC, where he played alongside Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo, and David Villa under Patrick Vieira—an experience that shifted how he thought about the game. In management, he has a pattern of taking underperforming sides and lifting them. At CD Mirandes, a Spanish second-division club destined for relegation, he steered them to mid-table and the Copa del Rey semi-finals. At Rayo Vallecano, he inspired promotion via the play-offs. At Bournemouth, he inherited a team that had finished 15th and built them into a genuine force, one that beat Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal, Newcastle, and Everton last season while playing an exciting, modern brand of football.
There is another layer to Iraola's story. As a child in the Basque Country, he played beach football with Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso, who are now managers at Arsenal and Chelsea respectively. All three grew up together at Antiguoko, an amateur club, and now, nearly 40 years later, they will all be managing in the Premier League next season. Pep Guardiola even cited Bournemouth's style of play last year as an example of "modern football." Iraola has maintained close relationships throughout his career—he remains in contact with Alonso, and he invited Eddie Howe to Madrid to watch his Rayo team train and exchange tactical ideas.
Liverpool's fans will be watching to see whether Iraola can replicate the success he found at Bournemouth, where his side went on an 18-game unbeaten run last season. He has the advantage of working with established stars and significant investment, something he did not have at his previous clubs. But he also faces the weight of expectation that comes with Anfield. In his BBC Sport interview last year, Iraola spoke about what matters most to him when joining a new club: "When I leave, I hope everyone has good things to say about me. When I come back 10 years later, I still have relationships with people inside the clubs." That philosophy will be tested now in a way it never has been before.
Notable Quotes
You don't need a lot of things to get attracted by Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool.— Andoni Iraola
The most important thing when I come to a new club is this: when I leave, I hope everyone has good things to say about me.— Andoni Iraola
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did Liverpool sack Slot after he'd just won them the title?
Because one title wasn't enough. They finished 25 points behind Arsenal this season with their lowest points total in a decade. The board decided they needed a manager who would be more aggressive, more urgent. Slot's style wasn't delivering anymore.
And they think Iraola is that man?
He's proven he can build something exciting. At Bournemouth, a club that was struggling, he made them competitive enough to finish sixth and beat Liverpool multiple times. He gets results from smaller resources.
But Liverpool has massive resources. Does that change things?
It should help him. He's never had £450 million to spend in a summer window before. But it also means the pressure is different. At Bournemouth, overachieving was the goal. At Liverpool, winning titles is the expectation.
What's his connection to the people running Liverpool?
Richard Hughes, the sporting director, was at Bournemouth when Iraola was hired. They know each other's work. That matters. It's not a blind appointment.
Is there anything unusual about his background?
He grew up playing beach football with Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso. Now all three are Premier League managers. He also played in New York with Lampard and Pirlo. He's been around elite football his whole life, even if he's managed smaller clubs.
What does he need to do first?
Prove himself quickly. He said that himself. He needs to earn the right to belong at Anfield, to build relationships with the fans. That's how he thinks about his job—not just results, but connection.