![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-186147314-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAndoni Iraola pauses as he carefully considers his response.<\/p>\n
The conversation in a hotel in downtown Chicago has turned to the letter he wrote to Liverpool more than 12 years ago after deciding not to sign for the club as a player.<\/p>\n
The silence is eventually broken. \u201cI don\u2019t know if I want to tell you this story so early in my career here,\u201d he smiles.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to win some games and have more time first. I wouldn\u2019t like to use it this early. If you remind me in some months, you can ask again! But I don\u2019t like to do this from the beginning, as it looks like I am selling myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both the story itself and his reaction to being reminded about it speak volumes about the character and mindset of Liverpool\u2019s new head coach.<\/p>\n
It was late 2013 when the club targeted the experienced right-back and Athletic Club captain as he approached the final six months of his contract in Bilbao. They wanted to secure a deal for him to join Brendan Rodgers\u2019 squad in the January window. Iraola, then 31, considered the offer but couldn\u2019t bring himself to break the bond with his boyhood club, and instead penned a two-year extension.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n Andoni Iraola turned down the chance to join Liverpool as a player in 2013-14 (Denis Doyle\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The Anfield hierarchy were surprised to subsequently receive a letter from Iraola thanking them for their interest and explaining his decision. The tone was humble and self-deprecating \u2014 qualities that shone through during 45 minutes in his company at the start of Liverpool\u2019s pre-season tour of the U.S..<\/p>\n
There are no bold promises of glory to launch a new era as the 44-year-old Basque coach wants his side\u2019s attacking brand of football to do the talking. He views himself as a facilitator rather than \u201cthe protagonist\u201d.<\/p>\n
But he does offer some fascinating insight into what shaped his coaching principles and launched a remarkable journey that eventually led him to Anfield this summer via spells in charge at AEK Larnaca, Mirandes, Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth.<\/p>\n
So did he ever seriously consider joining Liverpool back in 2013?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn\u2019t come close because I never wanted to leave Athletic Club,\u201d he says. \u201cFor me, Athletic Club was the place to be.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I eventually left (in the summer of 2015) to play in MLS (for New York City FC), it was completely different. I went before I almost became a problem for the club. I was 33 and said: \u2018OK, maybe now is the moment to go; if I stay, I\u2019ll start fewer games and play a different role\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having graduated from their academy, Iraola clocked up 510 appearances for Athletic Club over the course of 12 years. It was manager Ernesto Valverde who made the biggest impression on him.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-109312592-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Andoni Iraola celebrates after scoring a penalty against Barcelona in February 2011 (Jasper Juinen\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Valverde, who ended Athletic Club\u2019s 40-year wait for silverware by lifting the Copa del Rey in 2024, was among the candidates discussed internally at Liverpool before the appointment of Arne Slot as Jurgen Klopp\u2019s successor two years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had Valverde when I was in the academy, and he was the one who gave me the chance to play in the first team,\u201d Iraola explains. \u201cI also had him towards the end of my Athletic Club career, and I learned a lot from him.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone asks me about Marcelo Bielsa. I also had some games with the national team under Vicente del Bosque. They were good managers. Even at the end of my career, playing for Patrick Vieira after I signed for New York City, that gave me a different perspective. But if I have to pick one, then I always choose Valverde.\u201d<\/p>\n
What was it about him?<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it was his common sense. He never made problems bigger than they were. He always understood the players. He was very firm with the things he believed in. But how he treated the players, both those who were playing and those who weren\u2019t, I liked it a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s certainly a golden era for Spanish, Basque and Catalan coaches. Luis de la Fuente masterminded Spain\u2019s World Cup triumph, two years after winning the Euros. Luis Enrique retained the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain last season, Unai Emery won the Europa League with Aston Villa, while Mikel Arteta ended Arsenal\u2019s Premier League title drought. Pep Guardiola signed off at Manchester City with a domestic cup double and Cesc Fabregas led Como to fourth place in Serie A \u2014 and a Champions League place.<\/p>\n
Iraola, Arteta and new Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso, all born within seven months of each other, played for the same junior team in San Sebastian when they were growing up in the Basque Country. Now the trio are preparing to go head to head as managers in England\u2019s top flight.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-1709864587-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Andoni Iraola will hope to emulate Mikel Arteta\u2019s success at the top end of the Premier League (Steve Bardens\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople ask me a lot why a lot of Basque managers especially have arrived at this level and why a lot of Spanish teams are winning a lot of things,\u201d he says. \u201cI always say that a sense of collectiveness is very important. Spain has never had the best athletes. If you analyse, in swimming, track and field, they don\u2019t normally win medals.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut in collective sports they are very good. In football, basketball, handball, hockey\u2026 we always put the team first. An example is someone like Rodri. He didn\u2019t score or make an assist, but at the end they won the World Cup and he won best player of the tournament. Team first was always integrated in how we\u2019re raised.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of different styles in Spanish coaching. With the national team, they always say tiki-taka, but even in the World Cup you could see them pressing very well. Yes, they controlled the game with the ball, but it\u2019s the other part without the ball where everyone was doing their job. It\u2019s being proactive without the ball.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings work in general when we aren\u2019t just selfish, when we prioritise the situations of those who have less. That happens as well in football. The ones who don\u2019t play, the ones who come from the academy, the ones who earn less, it\u2019s a reference if you want to compare it with society.\u201d<\/p>\n
After announcing in April that he would leave Bournemouth when his contract expired at the end of the 2025-26 season, Iraola was a man in demand. There were discussions with Chelsea before the appointment of Alonso. Talks also took place with Crystal Palace, Bayer Leverkusen and Milan, but he left his options open.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the process with Bournemouth was very clean,\u201d he says. \u201cI still have a very good relationship with everyone at the club. We decided to announce I\u2019d be going when it was good for both sides but they knew before.<\/p>\n
\u201cI decided not to make any decision until after the season had finished. We were fighting for the European places. I didn\u2019t want to spend time thinking about my future before the season ended. It was only then that I started to think: \u2018OK, what\u2019s next?\u2019 I didn\u2019t really have a plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2277509247-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n (Robin Jones\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Iraola had guided Bournemouth to a sixth-placed finish and European qualification for the first time in their history when the call came from Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes in late May. The Scotsman had previously recruited him as Bournemouth coach in the summer of 2023.<\/p>\n
Within five days of Arne Slot\u2019s sacking, Iraola was stood in the Anfield centre circle with a red and white scarf draped around his neck.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt happened quite fast,\u201d he adds. \u201cHonestly, yes it was true that I was talking with some clubs. I think it was the first or second week after the season ended. Liverpool contacted me, and it didn\u2019t take a lot (for me to say yes).\u201d<\/p>\n
With so much to address, this summer\u2019s holiday with wife Itziar and their two young children was limited to a week back home in San Sebastian. Cycling and spending time with his family helps him switch off from the rigours of management. \u201cI\u2019ve mostly been in Bournemouth but also some trips to Liverpool to sort out the schools and the housing before I started working officially. If I have a day off maybe I\u2019ll go somewhere with my wife, but most of the time it is about the kids and what they want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2285853886-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n (Jan Kruger\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Iraola sees plenty of parallels between Athletic Club and Liverpool in terms of the deep emotional attachment supporters feel. That brings with it both pressure and responsibility for players and staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, this sense of belonging. Being proud of being a little bit different. This connection with players from the academy. The atmosphere inside Anfield. Liverpool right now is one of the biggest clubs in the world, so in some ways the comparison is probably not fair, but I see a lot of similar things.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Athletic Club, you have to maximise every player in the squad because you can\u2019t just sell and choose another one. As a player, you always have to give extra. It\u2019s the only way that policy (of only picking players from the Basque Country)\u00a0is going to be successful. It creates a connection which has allowed Athletic Club to win things, never be relegated and to continue being competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Liverpool, that connection was damaged by the morale-sapping events of last season. Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League with just 60 points, the club\u2019s lowest total for a decade. Negativity stemmed not only from results but also the slow, predictable brand of football. Iraola is tasked with bringing back the intensity with a commitment to staying on the front foot.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not only about playing well,\u201d he says. \u201cThis helps a lot, but supporters also have to feel identified with what they see on the pitch. Sometimes it\u2019s not about just putting a ball in the top corner.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of times the ones watching the game say: \u2018OK, they cannot do it, but they can run, they can fight for the balls, they can press, they can fight until the last line for every situation\u2019. When they see this from the players of their team, it\u2019s easier to get behind that team. I will encourage my team to give these things.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes I lose my temper, but I try not to. On the bench, it is true that sometimes it is difficult to control yourself. Every time you have to talk to the players at half-time, they have to see you under control a bit. Sometimes it\u2019s good for them to see you are angry or disappointed, but at half-time it\u2019s about finding solutions, how we\u2019re going to approach the second half, not blaming someone. You learn that with experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liverpool fans already have a song in his honour to the tune of \u2018Viva la Quinta Brigada\u2019 by Irish folk artist Christy Moore, but Iraola\u00a0prefers the focus to be on those leading the fight on the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for me a strange situation because I always understand that football is about the players,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen I arrived in England, I remember the first few games I didn\u2019t go with the players to clap the supporters (after games).\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2277167623-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n (Michael Steele\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Spain, they\u2019d say you\u2019re becoming the protagonist. Normally we leave it to the players. They are the ones who have played the game, and normally we are the ones who stay a bit behind. But my assistants Tommy (Elphick) and Shaun (Cooper) said: \u2018No, here, normally managers are the ones\u2019. Since then, I have done it every time, so these are the cultural things when you arrive in a new league.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always say we are assistants to the players. They are the main part. Coaches are important in terms of trying to maximise the potential of every player and try to create the environment to perform better. But our main thing is to help players and they are the only ones who can give us success. We are not as important as they are; that is very clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Iraola\u2019s reluctance to share the story about the letter he wrote to Liverpool all those years ago ties in with his desire to only sign a two-year contract at Liverpool. He doesn\u2019t want to \u201csell himself\u201d and\u00a0feels a duty to prove that he belongs at Anfield. He wants to do that through decisive actions rather than bullish words.<\/p>\n
How many transfers do Liverpool actually need?<\/p>\n
Jon Mackenzie<\/p>\n
So what would success look like in his first season at the helm?<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, now, it is about creating a very difficult team to beat,\u201d he adds. \u201cThe team that I envisage now, that I see and think of, if we become that team, I think we are going to be successful.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you have to do the job. You have to create a team, improve the team, you have to find the best positions for every player, the good combinations for the team and that is what we\u2019re now using the time for.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most important thing that we can deliver is our performances. It doesn\u2019t matter if I speak well, if I don\u2019t speak well, if I say the right things or if I don\u2019t say the right things.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end, people just want to see the team play well and deliver good results. I know this is 90 per cent of my job.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Andoni Iraola pauses as he carefully considers his response. The conversation in a hotel in downtown Chicago has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":564218,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[238382,61,60,27562,1101,1102,2846,112],"class_list":["post-564217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-athletic-club","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-la-liga","tag-liverpool","tag-premier-league","tag-spain","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=564217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564217\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/564218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=564217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=564217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=564217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}