Andoni Iraola: Liverpool appoint former Bournemouth boss as Arne Slot's successor on two-year deal
Liverpool have appointed Andoni Iraola as their new head coach; Iraola has signed a two-year deal at Anfield; the former Bournemouth boss emerged as the frontrunner after Arne Slot was sacked on May 30, just a year on from winning the Premier League
Thursday 4 June 2026 20:48, UK
Liverpool have appointed Andoni Iraola as their new head coach.
Iraola has signed a two-year deal at Anfield and will succeed Arne Slot, who was sacked just a year after winning the Premier League.
The process was being led by sporting director Richard Hughes, who appointed Iraola at Bournemouth in 2023 before he moved to Anfield the following year.
- Man management and 'a bottle of magic' - How Andoni Iraola can step up at Liverpool
- Liverpool's Big Summer - Listen to the podcast special
- Transfer Centre LIVE! | Liverpool news & transfers🔴
- Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺
- Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔
Sky Sports News understands that other candidates were considered, but Iraola was the only one spoken to. The club feel they have one of football's best managers, which is proven by the interest in Iraola this summer. They were also impressed by Iraola's desire to join them.
Liverpool also feel the 43-year-old is the best manager to make them more aggressive and implement a front-footed style.
Iraola and Bournemouth completed an 18-game unbeaten run during the second half of the 2025/26 Premier League season, leading to them securing a sixth-place finish and Europa League football. They also finished just three points behind Liverpool in the table.
"Really excited, really excited," he told Liverpoolfc.com. "Because obviously you know about Liverpool, you know that it's a big club, a massive club, one of the biggest in the world.
"But feeling inside and understanding a little bit more of this club, I always thought it's a special club.
"You don't need a lot of things to get attracted by Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool.
"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.
"I can only say [to the fans] that I want to become one more of you, I want to earn the right to be one of you, so we can enjoy it all together."
One of football's hottest properties
Sky Sports News' Vinny O'Connor:
"When you consider the number of clubs that were after him as well this summer already, 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 as well, when he voiced his admiration for Iraola and the job that he was doing at Bournemouth at that point.
"We also understand that while other candidates were considered, Iraola was the only one that Liverpool actually spoke to.
"When it came to Iraola's attitude towards Liverpool, Liverpool were his first, second, third, last choice; that's desire that was well received here at Liverpool. When it comes to his backroom staff, Liverpool are currently exploring the options regarding that."
'Bottle of magic' - How Iraola can restore connection with fans
Sky Sports News' Mark McAdam:
"The biggest compliment I can pay Andoni Iraola is he made Bournemouth fans fall in love with the team. They loved going to watch games at the Vitality Stadium.
"They saw the identity, they saw the philosophy and even at the beginning where things weren't going so well and results weren't there, they could see what was happening and they knew it just needed time.
"If Liverpool fans love going to Anfield, they are in love with their team, they love the style of football, they love what they're seeing, then they will go, 'okay, we can see what's going on here. We might need to give a little bit of time to go where we want to go in terms of winning nine out of 10 games and challenging for the Premier League, but I am starting to fall in love with this group of players and this philosophy.'
"That's what Iraola did at Bournemouth. He built a really clever group of players, he built bridges with the supporters and everyone just loved him. In the end, you've got Bournemouth fans going into games against Liverpool and Arsenal and Manchester City thinking, 'we'll win today and even if we don't, I know that we're going to be brilliant to watch'.
"If Iraola can bring that little bottle of magic that he had with Bournemouth and take it to Liverpool and create that atmosphere... then the rest will start to follow.
"And I do hate to compare it and mention Jurgen Klopp but that's exactly what Jurgen did when he arrived at Liverpool. That emotional connection is something that Liverpool fans have been missing, certainly this season because that emotional connection was missing between Liverpool fans and Arne Slot and that didn't necessarily help the atmosphere at Anfield."
Carragher unsure if Iraola can win Liverpool the league
Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher on Andoni Iraola:
"He's done a brilliant 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 to: high-intensity football. We know he's fantastic at that, but it's not just all about that when you're the Liverpool manager.
"Off the ball was a big problem for Arne Slot, that was the thing that really worried me, and I said all season that Liverpool off the ball were so poor.
"That'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 fantastic at that.
"My worry is, can you play at that intensity when you're playing every three days, and that was only getting played once a week with Bournemouth. That is completely different.
"Whenever you're bringing a manager in for a top club in England, you're thinking: 'Can he win me the league?' That's a big question mark around him, or any manager coming in, but Liverpool had a manager who's won the league, so that's why I was always torn."
Redknapp: Iraola can handle Liverpool pressure
Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp on Andoni Iraola:
"I love the man. I never thought what Eddie Howe did [at Bournemouth] could be eclipsed, but he's done that.
"The style of football is amazing - they play high pressure, they get after teams, which is exactly what Liverpool fans want.
"They want to see people with high energy, whether that fits the Liverpool mould, because they'll play man for man a lot. That style of play in midfield is really high energy - whether Wirtz fits into that, it'll be fascinating to see. Everybody is going to have to run in that team.
"There's talk that he doesn't like to talk to his players too much - if you're not in the team, he doesn't want to talk to you.
"That won't appeal to a lot of the players, but in this day and age, a lot of players go straight to the chairman or the director of football anyway.
"But he sets his stall out early - if you're in the team, he tells you a couple of hours beforehand.
"What will be the question now is going from Bournemouth to Liverpool, how do you handle that transition? I don't see it as a problem for him.
"As long as he gets the right players he needs... you can see he's made so many players at Bournemouth go from okay players to fantastic players, that look fit for the bill.
"I've got no problems with if he can handle it. He was a great player and is now an elite manager. If it is to be him, I have no doubt."
