Andoni Iraola shares the real reason why he chose such a special contract at Liverpool
Andoni Iraola shared an interesting reason behind his rare request before signing his Liverpool contract.
Iraola, who used to manage Bournemouth, was officially named as Arne Slot’s replacement on June 4. He came to Anfield with a great reputation after helping Bournemouth finish 12th, 9th, and 6th in his three seasons, even securing their first-ever Europa League spot.
Although he was appointed over a month ago, Iraola only started working last week. Most of the first-team players are expected back at the AXA Training Centre this week. He’ll have just under two weeks to train with the squad before pre-season begins. Liverpool’s first friendly will be against Sunderland on July 25 in Nashville, USA. They’ll also play Wrexham in New York and Leeds United in Chicago. The pre-season will wrap up with games against Monaco and Como at Anfield on August 9 and 16.
Before the Premier League season kicks off on August 23, Liverpool might see some players leave and others join. Victor Muñoz has already arrived from Osasuna, while Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa are rumored to be moving on. Centre-back Jérémy Jacquet also joined, having agreed to the deal back in February.
In his first press conference on July 13, Iraola talked about Liverpool’s transfer plans. He admitted they need to sign more players to fit his high-energy, attacking style. “We’ve signed two players so far, but we need more. The club is working hard on that,” he said. “As a coach, I’d selfishly like all players here from day one, but we know football doesn’t work like that.”
Fans were surprised when Iraola only signed a two-year contract, especially since he’s done short deals at his past clubs too. He has now explained why. He said coaching contracts don’t really mean much to him. He doesn’t want to stay somewhere just because he has a contract. “I signed for two years, but it’s basically year to year for a coach,” he explained. “Managers need to earn the right to continue every year, especially at big clubs like Liverpool. I feel if I do a good job, I’ll stay longer. But I want to earn it.”
Liverpool’s Premier League adventure starts away at Newcastle United on August 23.