Liverpool fans have seen it before: a manager wins the Premier League one season, then loses his job just a year later. That’s the brutal reality for Andoni Iraola, the Spaniard who takes over at Anfield after Arne Slot was sacked on Saturday – a year after guiding the club to the title.
Iraola, 43, has signed a two-year deal to become Liverpool’s new head coach. He arrives from Bournemouth, where he delivered the club’s finest top-flight finish – sixth place – and a spot in next season’s Europa League. His appointment, confirmed by Liverpool, follows the dismissal of Slot, who was let go after a season that saw the team finish fifth with 60 points, their lowest tally since 2015-16 and 25 points behind champions Arsenal. The decision was made by Fenway Sports Group’s chief executive of football, Michael Edwards, and Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes, who wanted a more front-foot, aggressive style.
“Why Liverpool appointed Andoni Iraola as new head coach after sacking Arne Slot.”
Slot’s exit has also triggered a backroom clear-out. Liverpool have confirmed that three of his lieutenants – first assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff, lead physical performance coach Ruben Peeters, and Giovanni van Bronckhorst – have left the coaching staff. Iraola is expected to bring in his own team, with reports linking Tommy Elphick (a Liverpool fan) and Shaun Cooper, his assistants at Bournemouth.
For UK readers, this matters because Liverpool are one of the most-watched clubs in the country. The managerial merry-go-round at top-six sides is a recurring drama that affects everything from transfer plans to match-day atmosphere. Iraola himself recalled the roar of Anfield when Federico Chiesa scored a late winner against his Bournemouth side last August – a sound he now wants to experience from the home dugout.
Q: Why was Arne Slot sacked after winning the Premier League? Slot led Liverpool to the title in his first season, but the following year the team slumped to fifth, their lowest league position since 2015-16. Despite spending more than £400m in the summer – including breaking the British transfer record twice – Liverpool finished 25 points behind Arsenal, and the club decided a change was needed.
Q: Who is Andoni Iraola and what has he achieved? Iraola is a former Spain international who won seven caps and spent most of his playing career at Athletic Bilbao. As a manager, he took over Bournemouth in 2023 and led them to sixth place in the Premier League in 2025-26, securing European football for the first time in the club’s history. He left Bournemouth in April 2026 after announcing his departure.
Q: What changes can Liverpool fans expect under Iraola? Iraola has said he wants to bring a front-foot, aggressive style. He will likely appoint his own backroom staff – Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper are expected to join from Bournemouth. His contract is only two years, which may raise questions about long-term stability, but Iraola said he understands “what is expected” at a club that fights for titles.
What happens next is already unfolding. Iraola will begin pre-season with a squad that includes top players capable of challenging for trophies – but he must quickly prove himself. “At the beginning when you arrive at any club, you need to kind of prove a little bit yourself,” he said. “You need to earn the right also to belong.” With a two-year deal and Champions League football secured, the clock is ticking.