Liverpool appoint Andoni Iraola as head coach following Arne Slot’s dismissal
Iraola, 43, arrives at Anfield after guiding Bournemouth to a sixth-place Premier League finish and Europa League qualification, succeeding Arne Slot who was sacked on Saturday.
Liverpool have appointed Andoni Iraola as their new head coach, confirming the end of Arne Slot’s one-year tenure at the club. The appointment follows the announcement of Slot’s dismissal on Saturday, a move that concludes a period during which the Dutchman guided the team to the Premier League title.
Iraola, 43, joins from Bournemouth, where he delivered the club’s finest season in its history. Under his management, the Cherries secured a sixth-place finish in the Premier League, earning qualification for next season’s Europa League. That result placed Bournemouth just one position and three points behind Liverpool in the final table.
The Spaniard had announced in April that he intended to leave Bournemouth at the end of the season. Prior to this appointment, Iraola had been linked with managerial roles at Crystal Palace and AC Milan. He now moves to Merseyside, where Liverpool qualified for next season’s Champions League despite finishing the campaign with 60 points.
The 60-point tally represents Liverpool’s lowest total since the 2015-16 season. The club finished 25 points behind champions Arsenal, marking a significant drop in performance metrics compared to their title-winning campaign under Slot.
Iraola is understood to be keen to bring his former assistants, Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper, to Anfield to form part of his new coaching staff. The appointment signals a fresh direction for the club as it seeks to stabilise its position in European competition following a season that saw its point total fall to levels not seen in over a decade.
