'Really Excited': Liverpool Confirm Spaniard Andoni Iraola As New Coach

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Liverpool announced the arrival of Spaniard Andoni Iraola as their new head coach to succeed the sacked Arne Slot on Thursday.

"Really excited, really excited," the 43-year-old former Bournemouth manager Iraola said on Liverpool's official website. He had arrived in Liverpool earlier on Thursday to finalise the details of his appointment as the club's new head coach following the dismissal of Slot.

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The 43-year-old flew into the city's John Lennon Airport on a private jet from San Sebastian in Spain and was driven away in a silver people carrier shortly afterwards.

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Iraola is understood to have agreed a two-year deal to succeed Slot, who was sacked last Saturday after a miserable Premier League title defence.

The Spaniard was quickly identified as the club's primary target and negotiations have been conducted swiftly as he had already agreed to leave Bournemouth at the end of this 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 slide in his second campaign in charge.

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

Iraola is expected to deliver a more urgent, aggressive style of football, which characterised the team under beloved former manager Jurgen Klopp.

He earned rave reviews for Bournemouth's sixth-place finish in the Premier League this season, which secured European qualification for the first time in the club's history.

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