English Premier League side, Liverpool FC, have announced the appointment of Andoni Iraola as the club’s new head coach ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The 43-year-old Spaniard will take charge at Anfield following the departure of Arne Slot, who left the club on Saturday.
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Iraola joins Liverpool after an impressive spell with AFC Bournemouth, where he spent three seasons and guided the club to a historic sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season. The achievement secured European football for Bournemouth for the first time in the club’s history.
Speaking after his appointment, Iraola expressed his excitement about taking over at one of football’s biggest clubs.
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“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.”
Born in the Basque region of northern Spain, Iraola enjoyed a successful playing career. He spent 12 seasons with Athletic Club, making more than 500 appearances mainly as a right-back.
He also represented Spain seven times before ending his playing career after a spell with New York City FC in the United States between 2015 and 2016.
Iraola began his coaching journey in 2018 when he was appointed manager of AEK Larnaca in Cyprus. During his time there, he helped the club win the Cypriot Super Cup.
He later moved to Spanish side Mirandes before joining Rayo Vallecano in 2020. In his first season with the club, he guided them back to La Liga, Spain’s top division.
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His success in Spain earned him a move to the Premier League in 2023 when Bournemouth appointed him as manager.
Under his leadership, Bournemouth became one of the league’s most exciting teams. Last season, the Cherries secured a place in Europe after putting together an outstanding 18-match unbeaten run in the second half of the campaign.
Iraola now begins a new chapter with Liverpool, where he will prepare the Reds for the upcoming season as they look to challenge for major trophies at home and in Europe.
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