Liverpool FC has a new manager: Andoni Iraola, who was on the verge of moving to Leverkusen, will remain in the Premier League and succeed Arne Slot.
Just over a week after the final match of the season against Brentford (1-1), Liverpool FC dropped a bombshell. Arne Slot had to leave Anfield Road after two years, even though he was actually under contract until the summer of 2027. On Thursday, the Reds presented Andoni Iraola as his successor, who has signed a contract through 2028.
The 43-year-old is “absolutely thrilled” about his new role at Anfield Road. “It doesn’t take much to be drawn to Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool,” Iraola is quoted as saying on the club’s website.
Personnel shake-up at Liverpool
After his move from Feyenoord Rotterdam to England in the summer of 2024, Slot got off to a highly successful start and led the Reds straight to their first league title since 2020. However, as title holders, his team was unable to build on those achievements in the recently concluded season. In the Premier League, they finished only fifth.
Even though Liverpool will still participate in the Champions League thanks to England’s additional qualifying spot, the club’s leadership stated that the parting of ways was unavoidable “so that the club can continue to develop.”
So now Iraola is expected to deliver better results—including in the Champions League. Under Slot, the Reds were eliminated by PSG in each of those tournaments and, as a result, never made it past the quarterfinals in the past three years.
Compared to Slot, Iraola will have to tackle these goals with a different approach. While the coaching position is now settled, the rest of the personnel shake-up at Anfield Road is still in full swing. For instance, replacements must be found for Mohamed Salah and Andrew Robertson. Additionally, center-back Ibrahima Konaté will also be leaving the club.
Just three points behind Liverpool with AFC
Iraola most recently worked at AFC Bournemouth, where he set a new points record three times in a row and, finishing sixth in the table last season—just three points behind LFC—surprisingly secured a spot in the Europa League thanks to an 18-game unbeaten streak.
These successes naturally attracted numerous suitors, among whom Bayer 04 Leverkusen even seemed to have the best chance at one point. However, Carles Martinez ultimately became the Werkself’s new coach, as Iraola decided to remain in the world’s wealthiest league despite having already held talks.
Speaking of finances: Since Iraola did not extend his contract in Bournemouth, Liverpool is saving on a transfer fee—but given the competition, they likely couldn’t avoid paying a hefty signing bonus for the 43-year-old Spaniard, in addition to the sporting considerations.
