Andoni Iraola stood at Anfield almost 10 months ago and felt the roar when Federico Chiesa scored a late winner for Liverpool against his Bournemouth side. “It was crazy,” he recalled. Now the 43-year-old Spaniard is about to experience that sound from the other side. Liverpool confirmed Iraola as their new head coach on a two-year contract, replacing Arne Slot, who was sacked on Saturday – a year after guiding the club to the Premier League title.
Iraola arrives after delivering Bournemouth’s finest top-flight season to date, finishing sixth and qualifying for the Europa League – only one position and three points behind Liverpool. The Cherries’ success earned him links with Crystal Palace and AC Milan, but he chose Merseyside, where Liverpool have qualified for the Champions League despite finishing the season with 60 points, their lowest tally since 2015-16 and 25 points behind winners Arsenal.
“Liverpool appoint Andoni Iraola as head coach on a two-year deal after sacking Arne Slot.”
“Really excited, really excited,” Iraola said. “Because obviously you know about Liverpool, you know that it's a big club, a massive club, one of the biggest in the world. You don't need a lot of things to get attracted by Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool.” He added: “I think Liverpool gives me the chance to coach top players, and top players give you the chance to fight for titles. To win titles. Obviously when you arrive at a place, you cannot promise everything. You cannot promise. But it's true that I understand where I'm coming and what is expected. I'm ready for the challenge.”
The decision to sack Slot was made by Michael Edwards, Fenway Sports Group's chief executive of football, and Liverpool's sporting director Richard Hughes. Together, they decided the club required a more front-foot, aggressive and urgent style of play. Slot had led Liverpool to the Premier League title in 2025 and was expected to build on that success after several marquee signings, but the team quickly fell out of the title race. In an open letter to supporters, Slot said: “This club will always judge itself by the biggest honours. That is how it should be.”
Despite a difficult season, teenage prospect Rio Ngumoha emerged as a bright spark. The winger scored a dramatic winner against Newcastle United in August, shortly before his 17th birthday, and doubled his Premier League goal tally against Fulham in April. Slot had tipped Ngumoha to become a future star after bringing him into the first team. When asked if Ngumoha's goal was a glimpse into Liverpool’s future, Slot responded: “Yeah, but not only the long future, also the near future.”
Iraola, who won seven caps for Spain in a playing career spent mainly at Athletic Club, is understood to be keen to add Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper, his assistants with Bournemouth, to his coaching staff. “I want now to feel this from the other side,” he said, recalling the Anfield eruption. “At the beginning when you arrive at any club, I think you need to kind of prove a little bit yourself. You need to earn the right also to belong. I want to do this as quickly as possible so I can also celebrate with them and I can be part properly of those celebrations.”