Was also Leverkusen’s favorite
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Liverpool FC has found its new coach after parting ways with Arne Slot. Andoni Iraola, who was also said to be a favorite at Bayer Leverkusen, signed with the Reds. Last season, the Spaniard shaped AFC Bournemouth into a seemingly unbeatable team.
Iraola has had a record 18-game unbeaten run with Bournemouth since January. Only six other clubs in Premier League history have managed a longer streak without defeat. Iraola brought the Cherries into the Europa League. The AFC almost prevented Iraola’s new employer from a place in the Champions League. Instead, the former national player will compete in the premier class with the LFC. Iraola experienced his last Premier League defeat with Bournemouth on January 3rd against eventual champions Arsenal. During his term in office since the summer of 2023, the squad value of the then relegation candidate increased from 253 million to 566 million euros. Marco Rose will take over Iraola’s legacy on the English south coast.
Iraola said he was very happy about his signing in a club statement after he signed the contract, because Liverpool is “a big club, a huge club, one of the biggest in the world”. The Spaniard stated: “You don’t need much to be attracted to Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool.” But it’s not just the appeal of last year’s dethroned champions, but also “the chance for me to train players at the absolute top level, the chance to fight for titles” that are particularly special for Iraola. “I don’t think it could be more attractive. It’s hard to find something like that. That’s why I’m really looking forward to getting started now.”
After unsuccessfully courting Iraola, Bayer Leverkusen finally decided on Carles Martínez, also a Spaniard – like Iraola and master coach Xabi Alonso, who will be Iraola’s opponent at Chelsea in the future. Since legendary coach Pep Guardiola is also quitting at Manchester City, three of the biggest clubs in the Premier League are starting a new coach.
Iraola’s predecessor Slot had a contract in Liverpool until the summer of 2027, but had to leave after a disappointing season. As Jürgen Klopp’s successor, Slot had looked after the team since 2024 and won the championship straight away. In the past season, Liverpool clearly lagged behind their own expectations. The gap to champions FC Arsenal was 25 points in the end.