Andoni Iraola is Liverpool's new coach. The 43-year-old Spanish coach officially succeeds Arne Slot, who left the club last Saturday, opening a new cycle at Anfield.
Iraola arrives at the Reds after three seasons of great impact in the Premier League with Bournemouth, culminating in a historic feat: the club's first European classification, secured thanks to the 6th place achieved in the season now ended.
In his first interview as Liverpool coach, the Basque didn't hide his emotion: "I'm really excited, really excited. You know Liverpool, you know it's a huge club, one of the biggest in the world. But experiencing it from the inside and really understanding it makes you understand how special it is."
Asked about what attracted him to the project, Iraola was clear: "You don't need much to feel attracted to Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool. The atmosphere, the fans, the club, the players, the possibility of training top-level athletes and fighting for titles: it's difficult to find anything more stimulating."
A former defender, born in the Basque Country, Iraola played more than 500 games for Athletic Club and also wore the Spanish national team's shirt. After his playing career ended, he began his journey on the bench in 2018, at AEK Larnaca, then moving on to Mirandés and Rayo Vallecano, which immediately led to promotion to La Liga.
The leap to the Premier League came in 2023, with his arrival at Bournemouth, where the work done was impressive, especially after a remarkable series of results in the second half of the season that guaranteed historic European classification.
Now, at Anfield, the most demanding phase of his career begins: leading Liverpool in the fight for national and international trophies.