Beth LindopJun 4, 2026, 02:30 PM ETCloseBased in Liverpool, Beth Lindop is ESPN's Liverpool correspondent and also covers the WSL and UWCL.
Liverpool have appointed Andoni Iraola as their new head coach following the dismissal of Arne Slot, the club announced Thursday.
Iraola moves to Anfield following a successful three-year stint at AFC Bournemouth, who he guided to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season.
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The 43-year-old has signed a two-year-contract, sources told ESPN, which aligns with his preference across his coaching career for signing short deals.
"You don't need a lot of things to get attracted by Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool," Iraola told the club's website.
"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."
Iraola's appointment comes after Slot was removed from his role on Saturday after two seasons in charge.
The former Feyenoord boss led Liverpool to the Premier League title in his first season at the club in 2024-25 but was unable to replicate that success this term, with the club finishing the campaign in fifth place and missing out on next season's Champions League.
Sources told ESPN that Iraola quickly emerged as the leading candidate to replace Slot and, as such, he was the only person interviewed for the job. Liverpool once tried to sign the Basque as a player and have admired his career from afar, having previously assessed him as a potential long-term replacement for Jürgen Klopp four years ago when he was at Rayo Vallecano.
Liverpool, sources added, have also been impressed by Iraola's ability to transform Bournemouth into one of the best-performing and most exciting sides in the Premier League without having the resources available of the majority of their competitors.
He also has a strong track record of improving players, particularly those in attacking areas, with his style of play having drawn comparisons with the high-intensity style of football that has underpinned much of Liverpool's success for the past decade.
The former Spain international began his coaching career with Cypriot club AEK Larnaca, before spells with Spanish clubs Mirandés and Rayo Vallecano.
He was appointed as Bournemouth boss in the summer of 2023 by Richard Hughes, who became sporting director at Liverpool in 2024 and has overseen the process of bringing Iraola to Anfield.
Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48945214/liverpool-appoint-andoni-iraola-arne-slot-successor
