Why Richard Hughes hired Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth amid Liverpool talks
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Liverpool FC NewsFeaturesAndoni IraolaLiverpool is looking to appoint Andoni Iraola as Arne Slot's successor after the Dutchman was fired, with the Spaniard a familiar manager for sporting director Richard HughesRichard Hughes and Andoni Iraola during their time together at Bournemouth(Image: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)Andoni Iraola appears set to become the next head coach of Liverpool after Arne Slot was fired on Saturday, with the Reds pressing ahead with the process of appointing a successor.Sporting director Richard Hughes worked with Iraola on the south coast before he moved into his role at Anfield and the Spanish manager, who was at Bournemouth for three seasons and announced his departure in April, is thought to be keen on working for Liverpool.He had been courted by Bayer Leverkusen and Crystal Palace, among others, but when Slot was fired, the logical course of action was to prioritize a move to Merseyside.Liverpool is keen to ensure that it plays a high-intensity style moving forward and Iraola has shown himself capable of that so far during his career, albeit he has so far worked at clubs outside of European competitions.With talks with Iraola underway, the 43-year-old is someone who appears ready to take the next step in his career. And Hughes knows him well, having brought him to England in the first place.The Liverpool sporting director pushed Iraola's case at Bournemouth, having been impressed by his Rayo Vallecano side.Liverpool players will be gearing up for life without Arne Slot(Image: 2026 Getty Images)He saw them get promoted into La Liga and made the semi-finals of the Spanish cup — something Rayo had only done once before, 40 years earlier.Leeds was among the teams to look at Iraola, but Bournemouth fired Gary O'Neil and took the risk on his methods being a success in a different country, waiting patiently for things to click when he failed to win any of his first nine games in charge."The first thing from the club was more than [about] the result but changing the style: changing the approach, being more offensive, more proactive, playing with no fear," Iraola said of Bournemouth’s plan.Hughes brought in front-footed players, including Milos Kerkez, who has since joined Liverpool, and Antoine Semenyo, who is now at Manchester City.Get Liverpool's new 2026/27 home kitThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it.
Learn moreLiverpool FC have launched their new home kit for the 2026/27, inspired by iconic adidas strip worn during the club's 1989/90 title-winning campaign.Iraola has long thought the best form of defense is attack. "When 10 players are behind the ball, I don’t feel very comfortable," he said at the end of his first season at Bournemouth.One of the challenges at Liverpool will be consistently facing teams that don't feel the same: one of the major issues that Slot faced was being unable to break down low blocks.Liverpool.com says: Iraola will need to make a quick step up to a much bigger club if the deal gets over the line.
The Spaniard is clearly an excellent coach, but there will be new demands that he will need to adapt to.Choose Liverpool.com as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Liverpool FCAndoni IraolaRichard HughesAFC Bournemouth