At night 4/6, Liverpool confirmed Iraola would lead the team from the 2026-2027 season, replacing Arne Slot just leaving Anfield last weekend.
According to the British Telegraph, Liverpool reached oral agreement with Iraola from night 2/6. By morning 4/6, the Spanish coach was present at Merseyside to complete final procedures. He was accompanied by Representative Joseba Barandiaran toured the AXA training center and the Anfield Field under the direction of Sports Director Richard Hughes, before placing a two-year contract pen.
This is a shorter term than usual for a new coach at the big league. However, Iraola himself offered this deadline, similar to the contracts he once signed during his military career, the Queensland coach wanted to prove his powers himself before thinking of more permanent commitments in the future.
"I'm really excited," Iraola said in the first interview with Liverpool. "Everyone knows Liverpool is the largest club in the world. But as I got to know better, I felt the special team".
He stressed Liverpool's attraction lies in the air on the stands, the wildness of fans, the formation quality and the opportunity to compete in large titles. "It doesn't take many reasons to be attracted to Liverpool. Working with the highest-class players and having the opportunity to fight for titles is appealing. It's hard to find a better place than that," the Spanish coach added.
Iraola was born in Queensland, north of Spain, while still in competition, he was the right guard of Athletic Bilbao, where he played over 500 games in 12 seasons. He also had seven national team jackets before finishing his career as player in New York City FC in 2016.
Iraola's training career began in 2018 at AKE Lernaca in Cyprus. At the very first season, he helped the team win the Cyprus Super Cup. He later moved to Miranades in the Second Division of Spain and took over Rayo Vallecano in 2020. Here, Iraola quickly made a loud sound when bringing La Liga's first-season promotion team. That success enabled him to get into the sights of many major clubs before accepting direction from Bournemouth in 2023.
Three seasons at Bournemouth were key platforms for taking Iraola to Anfield. Under his guidance, the southern British club gradually became the phenomenon of the British Foreign Division due to the energy-rich game, which puts intense pressure and a tendency toward attack. Last season, Bournemouth ran the sixth goal, winning his first game ticket to Europa League in club history.
Bournemouth closed the season with the series of 18 championships in the second half of the season, record making Liverpool believe that Iraola was the most suitable candidate for the reconstruction process after a season of disappointment.
Liverpool once considered other options such as Sebastian Hoeness (Stutgart) or Pierre Sage (Lens). However, the board assessed Iraola as superior by the experience of working in the British Foreign Class as well as the ability to build more active games.
Hughes once brought Iraola back to Bournemouth in 2023, now playing a major role in this trade. Liverpool, in fact, followed the Spanish coach many years ago, even wanting to recruit him as an Athletic Bilbao player in 2013.
Even so, Iraola faced many challenges when moving from Bournemouth to Liverpool. The pressure at Anfield was far greater than he had ever experienced. In addition to competing for titles in the British Foreign Division, Liverpool has to fight at the Champions League, where the competition schedule is dense and requires that achievement be at its highest level.
Iraola's important mission was to help the public reach the full potential. Liverpool made a strong investment for Florentine Witz and Alexander Isak but the pair did not meet expectations during the 2025-2026 season. The leadership believes that Iraola's ability to develop offensive players, which have been demonstrated by such cases as Dominic Solanke, Justin Klivert, or Antoine Semenyo at Bournemouth, will help the team greatly improve the score performance.
In addition, Spanish coaches also need to solve problems in the ranks. Liverpool revealed a lot of space in the previous season and frequently faced with simple counterattacks. The construction of the balance between the attack and the defense would be an important measure for his tenure at Anfield. "I can't promise everything when I first come to a football team," Iraola said. "But I understand where I'm going and what people expect. I'm ready for this challenge".