Andoni Iraola has been officially appointed as Liverpool manager and used his first public remarks to set a measured tone for his tenure. He described his arrival with clear enthusiasm while underlining the need to work for his place at the club. “Really excited, really excited,” Iraola admitted. “Because obviously you know about Liverpool , you know that it\u2019s a big club, a massive club, one of the biggest in the world.<\/p>\n
“But feeling inside and understanding a little bit more of this club, I always thought it\u2019s a special club. You don\u2019t need a lot of things to get attracted by Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool.<\/p>\n
“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\u2019s difficult to find it. So, really excited to start.”<\/p>\n
Iraola arrives at Anfield after three seasons in charge at Bournemouth. He led the Cherries to a sixth place Premier League finish in 2025\u201326, a result that secured European qualification for the first time in the club\u2019s history. He also recalled the intensity of playing at Liverpool, pointing to the opening match of 2025\u201326 when Federico Chiesa scored a late winner against his Bournemouth side, and said he wants to experience that atmosphere from the other side.<\/p>\n
On expectations, he was clear that acceptance will not be automatic. “At the beginning when you arrive at any club, I think you need to kind of prove a little bit yourself,” Iraola confessed. “You need to earn the right also to belong. I want to do this as quickly as possible so I can also celebrate with them and I can be part properly of those celebrations.<\/p>\n
“For me, football is about emotions. About passion. I\u2019m quite cool-headed probably, during my life quite rational, I would say. But it\u2019s true that when the game starts, when you have to celebrate a goal, something is inside, no?<\/p>\n
“I think this inner energy, you need it as a player, you need it as a supporter, you need it as a coach. No better place than Anfield.”<\/p>\n
He avoided making concrete promises while acknowledging silverware will shape judgment. “Obviously when you arrive at a place, you cannot promise everything,” Iraola said. “You cannot promise. But it\u2019s true that I understand where I\u2019m coming and what is expected. I\u2019m ready for the challenge.”<\/p>\n
He closed by addressing supporters directly. “I\u2019m happy to talk to you for the first time,” Iraola said in a video directed to Liverpool supporters. “You already know the club is one of the biggest clubs in the world, but I think there\u2019s always more than this when we\u2019re talking about Liverpool.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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