Iraola arrives in Liverpool to finalize the deal for the head coach role

Andoni Iraola arrived in Liverpool on Thursday to finalize details of his appointment as the club’s new head coach following the sacking of Arne Slot.

The 43-year-old flew from San Sebastian in Spain to the city’s John Lennon Airport on a private jet and was driven away shortly afterwards in a silver passenger car.

Iraola is said to have agreed a two-year contract to succeed Slot, who was sacked last Saturday after a miserable Premier League title defense.

The Spaniard was quickly identified as the club’s main target and negotiations moved quickly as he had already agreed to leave Bournemouth at the end of the season.

Slot led Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th English league title in his debut season in 2024/25 but was powerless to halt Liverpool’s decline in his second season in charge.

The Reds finished fifth in the Premier League, 25 points behind champions Arsenal, guaranteeing at least qualification for next season’s Champions League.

Iraola is expected to deliver a more urgent, aggressive style of football that defined the team under much-loved former manager Jurgen Klopp.

He won plaudits for Bournemouth’s sixth-place finish in the Premier League this season, securing European qualification for the first time in the club’s history.

Published on June 4, 2026