Report: Liverpool finally fill key backroom role on Arne Slot's coaching staff after 'rigorous' hiring process
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Liverpool’s defensive worries have come under the spotlight during the early rounds of the Premier League season as they try to iron out some issues.
The Reds have had a couple of changes to the backline over the summer, with both full-back positions being filled by new players.
With key midfield duo Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister also yet to play together, Liverpool are looking more vulnerable than usual at the back.
Although they are still picking up wins for the time being, defensive vulnerabilities are never a good thing and they’ll no doubt be keeping Arne Slot and the Liverpool coaching staff up at night.
Slot’s backroom team has changed a little this summer, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst replacing John Heitinga and the goalkeeping staff being completely rejigged as well.
And with improvements needing to be made on the pitch, Slot has now made yet another switch to his team, with one more new face arriving and another coach being given a brand new role.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
When Slot threw together his coaching team last summer, few Liverpool fans will have heard of Aaron Briggs.
Nevertheless, the former Man City and Wolfsburg coach is well regarded within the game, and proved his quality as Liverpool’s individual development lead coach.
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Briggs also moonlighted as the set-piece coach throughout last term, with the Reds unable to fill the position with a specialist despite a long search for the right candidate.
And after some success in 2024/25, The Athletic report that Briggs has now been appointed as Liverpool’s full time set-piece coach.
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The change follows the addition of Brazilian coach Luis Fernando Iubel, who has taken Briggs’ old job as individual development lead coach.
Iubel arrives from Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro, where he has been the club’s assistant coach.
Appointed following what is described as a ‘rigorous four-stage global recruitment process’ involving Liverpool’s top brass, the 36-year-old will reportedly ‘work across Liverpool’s first-team, under-21s and under-18s training groups’ along with the young players out on loan.
Although the headline news in a day and age where set-pieces have never felt more crucial should be Liverpool’s appointing of a specialist, Iubel’s arrival is very intriguing indeed.
NameRoleSipke HulshoffFirst Assistant CoachGiovanni van BronckhorstAssistant CoachXavi ValeroHead of GoalkeepingAaron BriggsSet-piece CoachLuiz Fernando IubelIndividual Development Lead CoachArne Slot’s selected Liverpool coaching team
Despite his young age, the Brazilian is very experienced as an assistant coach, taking up various roles since 2015.
Iubel has been a number two at teams such as Bahia, Vasco da Gama and Coritiba, before a long stint at Cuiaba in which he occasionally acted as interim manager.
Iubel only joined Atletico Mineiro in March this year, and is said to have stood out to Liverpool for the ‘wealth of experience he boasts managing the development of young players.’
The coach will join Slot’s team from September 1st, with Briggs moving permanently over to set-pieces.