Why Iraola feels ready for Liverpool
By BBC, June 5, 2026Andoni Iraola says he understands “what is expected” but is ready for the challenge ahead after Liverpool confirmed him as their new head coach.
Iraola, 43, has signed a two-year deal to replace Arne Slot, who was sacked on Saturday, a year after guiding the club to the Premier League title.
Former Bournemouth manager Iraola joins after delivering the Cherries’ finest top-flight season to date, finishing in sixth place.
That was only one position and three points behind Liverpool and gave Bournemouth a place in next season’s Europa League.
The Spaniard announced in April that he would leave Bournemouth this summer, and he had been linked with Crystal Palace and AC Milan.
Excited for new challenge
Now he moves to Merseyside, with Liverpool having qualified for next season’s Champions League despite finishing the Premier League season with 60 points, their lowest tally since 2015-16 and a distant 25 points behind winners Arsenal.
“Really excited, really excited,” said Iraola. “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.”
Iraola, who recalled Anfield’s roar when Federico Chiesa scored a late winner against his Bournemouth side last August, is understood to be keen to add Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper, his assistants with the Cherries, to his coaching staff.
Remembering Bournemouth’s trip to Liverpool almost 10 months ago, Iraola said: “[Chiesa] scored and the place erupted. It was crazy, no? I want now to feel this from the other side.
“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.”
The decision to sack Slot was made by Michael Edwards, who is 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 football.
Iraola was appointed at Bournemouth when Hughes was technical director at the Cherries, a role he left in 2024 to join the Reds.
Former RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund head coach Marco Rose has been confirmed as Iraola’s replacement at Bournemouth.
Liverpool spent £450m last summer, the highest outlay in a single window by a British club – in a bid to retain their league title.
Iraola has a history of overachieving everywhere he has been, beginning with his playing career.
He spent 15 years with Athletic Club, who famously only pick players with ties to the Basque Country. In his four seasons as captain, the club reached two Copa del Rey finals, a Europa League final and qualified for the Champions League.
Iraola’s past coaching roles
In his first management role with AEK Larnaca, Iraola led the Cypriot side to qualify for the Europa League group stage for only the second time.
Then at little-known Spanish second division side CD Mirandes, he steered a team destined for relegation to a mid-table finish – and led them to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, knocking out La Liga heavyweights Celta Vigo, Sevilla and Villarreal.
Expectations were similarly low when he took charge of Rayo Vallecano, but he inspired them to promotion via the play-offs, overcoming a 2-1 home defeat by Girona to win the second leg 2-0 despite playing most of the second half with 10 men.
He took over at Bournemouth in 2023 when they had finished the Premier League season in 15th place, something that was deemed a success after Gary O’Neil replaced Scott Parker following a 9-0 loss to Liverpool just four games in. Since then, Iraola has guided the Cherries to a new level.