Mansion Sports – Liverpool have announced the appointment of Andoni Iraola as the club's new head coach.

The Spanish coach arrives at Anfield to take charge ahead of the 2026-27 season following the departure of Arne Slot.

A New Era Begins at Anfield

Liverpool confirmed that Iraola has agreed a contract to become the club's new head coach ahead of the 2026-27 season.

The 43-year-old will take over the position at Anfield to replace Slot, who left The Reds on Saturday after his tenure on Merseyside came to an end.

Iraola joins the club with the strongest reputation of his career after spending three impressive seasons in the Premier League with Bournemouth.

His tenure on England's south coast was marked by a progressive style of play, culminating in his success in leading The Cherries into European competition for the first time in the club's history after finishing sixth in the league table last month.

Excitement for a Major Challenge

The new coach expressed his excitement about joining one of the most successful football institutions in the world.

“Very excited, very excited,” he told Liverpoolfc.com. “Because of course you know about Liverpool, you know that it is a big club, a very big club, one of the biggest in the world. But after experiencing the atmosphere inside and understanding a little more about this club, I have always thought that it is a special club.”

He continued:

“You do not need many reasons to be interested in Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool. But of course the atmosphere, the supporters, the club, the players, the opportunity for me to coach world-class players, the opportunity to compete for titles. I think there is nothing more attractive than this. It is difficult to find something like this. So, I am very excited to get started.”

From the Basque Country to the Premier League

Born in the Basque region of northern Spain, Iraola enjoyed a long playing career, primarily as a right-back, and made more than 500 appearances for Athletic Club over 12 seasons.

He also earned seven appearances for the Spain national team before moving to New York City FC between 2015 and 2016, eventually bringing his playing career to an end.

His transition into coaching was swift and successful. His first step as a coach began in the summer of 2018 when he took charge of AEK Larnaca and helped the club win the Cypriot Super Cup.

After that, he managed Spanish second-division club Mirandes, where he began building his reputation as a tactically intelligent coach.

The Rise of a Tactical Expert

Iraola then joined Rayo Vallecano in 2020, whom he guided to promotion to La Liga in his first season as head coach.

His ability to achieve results beyond expectations continued in the top tier of Spanish football and eventually attracted the attention of English clubs.

Only three years after that promotion, the Premier League came calling, and Iraola was appointed as Bournemouth manager.

His performances with The Cherries attracted widespread attention, culminating in qualification for European competition last season after a remarkable run of 18 matches unbeaten during the second half of the campaign secured sixth place in the standings.

Now Iraola joins Liverpool, where he will begin preparing The Reds for the upcoming season and the challenge of competing for various prestigious trophies.