CHICAGO — In a wide-ranging interview with reporters in Chicago, including ESPN, Andoni Iraola declined to retell a thank-you letter he sent Liverpool in 2013, saying he preferred to wait until he had won some games before sharing the story. Iraola said he did not want to appear to be selling himself and wanted results to come first, according to ESPN.
The new Liverpool head coach, 44, is a boyhood Athletic Club player who made more than 500 appearances for the Basque club and went on to captain the side. He repeatedly declined to elaborate on the details of the letter during the interview, characterising the moment as private and rooted in humility, according to ESPN.
Iraola announced in April that he would leave Bournemouth at the end of the season after guiding the club to a record sixth-place Premier League finish and Europa League qualification, achievements that helped place him atop Liverpool’s shortlist. He spent three seasons at Bournemouth and previously managed in Spain at Rayo Vallecano, and said the exit process at Bournemouth was organized and respectful, with the timing agreed for both parties as the club continued to pursue European qualification to the final match of the season.
Despite links to Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen, Iraola was confirmed as Liverpool’s head coach in June. His appointment followed the club’s parting with Arne Slot, who won the Premier League in his first season before departing in May after a difficult second campaign.
Iraola inherits a squad that struggled to defend its title, finishing fifth and seeing a number of experienced players leave — including Mohamed Salah, whose public dispute with Slot was an unwelcome subplot to the season. The new coach will begin his first full assessment of the squad during Liverpool’s preseason in the United States, with senior signings Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz expected to join the initial 31-player traveling party next week, according to ESPN.
Iraola described Liverpool as “very special” and signalled a pragmatic approach, emphasising the need to rebuild cohesion and let results define his tenure, according to ESPN.
