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Beth Lindop
Multiple Authors
Liverpool have appointed Andoni Iraola as their new coach following the dismissal of Arne Slot, the club announced Thursday.
Iraola moves to Anfield following a successful three-year stint at AFC Bournemouth, whom he guided to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season.
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The 43-year-old has signed a two-year contract, sources told ESPN, which aligns with his preference across his coaching career for signing short deals.
“You don’t need a lot of things to get attracted by Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool,” Iraola told the club’s website.
“But obviously the atmosphere, the supporters, the club, the players, the chance for me to coach top-level players, the chance to fight for titles. I think it cannot be more attractive than this. It’s difficult to find it. So, really excited to start.”
Iraola’s appointment comes after Slot was removed from his role Saturday after two seasons in charge.
The former Feyenoord boss led Liverpool to the Premier League title in his first season at the club in 2024-25 but was unable to replicate that success this term, with the club finishing the campaign in fifth place.
Sources told ESPN that Iraola quickly emerged as the leading candidate to replace Slot and, as such, he was the only person interviewed for the job. Liverpool once tried to sign the Basque as a player and have admired his career from afar, having previously assessed him as a potential long-term replacement for Jürgen Klopp four years ago when he was at Rayo Vallecano.
Liverpool, sources added, have also been impressed by Iraola’s ability to transform Bournemouth into one of the best-performing and most exciting sides in the Premier League without having the same resources available as the majority of their competitors.
He also has a strong track record of improving players, particularly those in attacking areas, with his style of play having drawn comparisons with the high-intensity style that has underpinned much of Liverpool’s success for the past decade.
“I think I have the advantage that I’ve been here already three years in the Premier League, and people for sure have seen Bournemouth play,” Iraola said.
“There are some things that obviously we need to change, coaching Liverpool, but I wouldn’t like to lose our identity — the intensity, the aggressiveness, the organization. Certain things that I would like always to have in my team.
“Obviously you have to adapt to the players you have, and it’s not the same at one club or the other, but there are fundamentals that I also think match quite well, what has been Liverpool during a lot of years, that I think we can make it work.”
The former Spain international began his coaching career with Cypriot club AEK Larnaca, before spells with Spanish clubs Mirandés and Rayo Vallecano.
He was appointed as Bournemouth boss in summer 2023 by Richard Hughes, who became sporting director at Liverpool in 2024 and has overseen the process of bringing Iraola to Anfield.
