Liverpool announced on Thursday the appointment of Andoni Iraola as the manager of the Dutch club, less than a week after the dismissal of Arne Slott.
The 43-year-old Spanish coach signed an official contract to take over the technical leadership of Liverpool after his departure from Bournemouth at the end of the current season, after spending three successful seasons with the club.
Liverpool risk their future
Liverpool confirmed in an official statement on their social media accounts: "We can confirm that Andoni Iraola has agreed to take over as the club's new manager before the start of the 2026/2027 season."
The coaching philosophy and style of play on which Iraola, based on high pressure and intensity, is similar to the football ideology that brought the team enormous success under former German coach Jurgen Klopp, who has a special place among the fans at Anfield.
Despite this similarity, the appointment of the Spanish coach is a big risk on the part of Liverpool's management, as he has never overseen the coaching of any of the major elite clubs and has not won a major championship throughout his coaching career.
Irrawal arrives at Anfield
The 43-year-old Spanish coach arrived at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport on a private jet from his native San Sebastian in the Basque Country on Thursday morning, and shortly afterwards, he was taken to the club's training complex in a silver family car.
The former Bournemouth boss was quickly identified as Liverpool's main target, and negotiations were swift as Iraola's contract expired after he led the Cherries to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League, securing participation in continental competitions next season for the first time.
Ayer first asksfor his assistant coaching staff, which includes Tommy Elvick, Sean Cooper, analyst Tom Webber and fitness coach Pablo De La Torre.
Record losing streak
The 47-year-old arrived at Liverpool in 2024 as the successor to German Jurgen Klopp, after leading Feyenoord to victories in the Dutch Premier League and the Dutch Cup, to achieve Liverpool's 20th Premier League title in his first season with the club.
But last season saw the team suffer a record 12 defeats, failing to defend their title and contenting themselves for fifth place in the standings, barely qualifying for next season's Champions League.