Andoni Iraola: Liverpool appoint former Bournemouth boss as Arne Slott’s successor on two-year deal | football news

Liverpool have appointed Andoni Iraola as their new head coach.

Iraola has signed a two-year deal at Anfield and will replace Arne Slott, who was sacked just one year after winning the Premier League.

The process was led by sporting director Richard Hughes, who appointed Iraola to Bournemouth in 2023 before moving to Anfield the following year.

Sky Sports News Understands that other candidates were considered, but Iraola was spoken to. The club feel they have one of the best managers in football, as evidenced by the interest in Errola this summer. They were also impressed by Iraola’s willingness to join them.

Liverpool also believe the 43-year-old is the best manager to make them more aggressive and implement a front-foot style.

Iraola and Bournemouth completed an 18-game unbeaten run in the second half of the 2025/26 Premier League season, which saw them finish sixth and secure Europa League football. They are only three points behind Liverpool in the table.

“Really excited, really excited,” he told Liverpoolfc.com. “Because obviously you know Liverpool, you know it’s a big club, a huge club, one of the biggest clubs in the world.

“But to feel inside this club and understand this club a bit more, I always thought it was a special club.

“You don’t need much to be attracted by Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool.

“But obviously the environment, the fans, the club, the players, the chance for me to coach top-level players, the chance to fight for the title. I think it couldn’t be more attractive. It’s hard to find. So, really excited to start.”

“I can only tell (fans) that I want to be one of you more, I want to earn the right to be one of you, so that we can enjoy it together.”

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Sky Sports News’ Vinny O’Connor:

“When you consider the number of clubs already after him this summer, this is someone whose career Liverpool have followed closely.

“Don’t forget, they tried to sign him as a player, and they’ve watched with admiration how his coaching career has developed as well. Don’t forget those quotes going back to Jurgen Klopp’s days, when he praised Irrola and the work he did at Bournemouth at the time.

“We also understand that while considering other candidates, Iraolai was the only one Liverpool spoke to.

“When it comes to Iraola’s attitude towards Liverpool, Liverpool was his first, second, third, last choice; this desire was well received here at Liverpool. When it comes to his backroom staff, Liverpool are currently exploring options in this regard.”

‘Magic Bottle’ – How Iraola Can Reconnect With Fans

Sky Sports News’ Mark McAdam:

“The biggest compliment I can give to Andoni Iraola is that he fell in love with the Bournemouth fans. They loved going to the Vitality Stadium.

“They saw the identity, they saw the vision and even in the beginning where things weren’t going so well and the results weren’t there, they could see what was happening and they knew it was just a matter of time.

“If Liverpool fans like going to Anfield, they love their team, they like the style of football, they like what they’re seeing, then they’ll go, ‘OK, we see what’s happening here. We might have to take a while to get to where we want to go in terms of winning nine out of 10 games and I’m challenging to get into the preleague group, but I’m competing for this group. The players and this crowd.’

“That’s what Iraola did at Bournemouth. He built a team of really clever players, he built bridges with the fans and everyone loved him. At the end, you’ve got Bournemouth fans going into games against Liverpool and Arsenal and Manchester City saying, ‘We’re going to win today and even though we don’t know if we’re going to see it’.

“If Irrola can bring that little bottle of magic with Bournemouth and take it to Liverpool and create that atmosphere… then the rest will start to follow.

“And I hate to compare it and mention Jurgen Klopp but that’s exactly what Jurgen did when he came to Liverpool. That emotional connection is something that Liverpool fans have been missing, certainly this season because that emotional connection between Liverpool fans and Arne Slott has been missing and it certainly didn’t help at Anfield.”

Carragher is unsure if Iraola can win the league for Liverpool

Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher On Andoni Iraola:

“He has done a fantastic job in the Premier League, what Bournemouth have done is absolutely fantastic, but there are still huge question marks.

“The way he plays is definitely the way Liverpool want to go back: high-intensity football. We know he’s great at it, but when you’re Liverpool manager it’s not just about that.

“Off the ball was a big problem for Arne Slott, that’s what really worried me, and I’ve said all season that Liverpool were very poor off the ball.

“It’s a big part of Liverpool’s DNA, not just under Jurgen Klopp. The reason we talk about the Anfield factor, a lot of it is off the ball, not just on it, so he’s great at it.

“My concern is, can you play at that intensity when you’re playing every three days, and it was once a week with Bournemouth. It’s completely different.

“Whenever you bring in a manager for a top club in England, you think: ‘Can he win me the league?’ It’s a big question mark around him, or any manager coming in, but Liverpool had a manager who won the league, so I’m always torn.”

Redknapp: Iraola can handle Liverpool pressure

Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp On Andoni Iraola:

“I love the man. I never thought Eddie Howe (at Bournemouth) could eclipse what he did, but he did.

“The style of football is amazing – they play high pressure, they get behind teams, that’s exactly what Liverpool fans want.

“They want to see high-energy guys, whether that fits the Liverpool mould, because they play a lot more man-to-man. It will be interesting to see if that style of play in midfield suits the really high-energy – Wirtz. Everyone has to run in that team.

“There’s talk that he doesn’t like to talk to his players too much – he doesn’t want to talk to you if you’re not in the team.

“It won’t appeal to many players, but in this day and age, many players go straight to the chairman or director of football.

“But he sets up his stall early – he’ll tell you hours in advance if you’re in a group.

“The question now is going from Bournemouth to Liverpool, how do you manage that transition? I don’t see it as a problem for him.

“As long as he gets the right players he needs… you’ve seen him turn a lot of Bournemouth players from okay players to great players, which seems to fit the bill.

“I have no problem if he can handle it. He was a great player and is now an elite manager. If he has to be, I have no doubt.”