A reporter has explained why Liverpool opted to hire Andoni Iraola over Xabi Alonso following the sacking of Arne Slot.
Liverpool sacked Slot in May following the conclusion of the club’s 2025/26 campaign, which saw them go trophy-less, having won the Premier League title in the 2024/25 season. He penned an open letter to Liverpool fans following his dismissal.
Iraola was the chosen one to replace Slot, with the highly-rated manager out of a job after his contract at Bournemouth expired at the end of the season.
But had Liverpool parted ways with Slot sooner, then they could have appointed club legend Alonso, who had been out of work until he was snapped up by Chelsea.
Alonso was announced as Chelsea’s new manager on May 17, and the Spaniard has made a good start to his time at the club. It had been suggested that Liverpool missed out on Alonso, but Kevin Hatchard claimed that idea was “wide of the mark”.
Why Liverpool Pursued Andoni Iraola Over Xabi Alonso
Liverpool pursued Iraola over Alonso because of a big factor. Hatchard suggests Iraola’s style of play is much closer to Jurgen Klopp’s heavy metal brand of football.
On X, he wrote: “I think this idea that #lfc missed out on Xabi Alonso because they sacked Slot too late is wide of the mark. He’s a great coach and a Liverpool legend, but if you want aggressive, fast-paced, up-and-at-em football, he’s not your guy. Iraola much closer to Klopp’s ‘vollgas’ style.”
The Athletic’s Oliver Kay backed up Hatchard’s report by suggesting Liverpool could easily have spoken to Alonso before he took the Chelsea job.
“It was spelt out to me in March that if they were looking for a new coach (which wasn’t their intention at that point), it wouldn’t be Alonso — pretty much for the reasons you mention. If they’d wanted to, they could very easily have spoken to him before he took the Chelsea job. (He has the same agent as Iraola after all.) They didn’t,” he said on X.
Key Events Timeline
- May 2026 — Chelsea appointed free agent Xabi Alonso as head coach on a four-year deal.
- May 2026 — Liverpool sacked Arne Slot after a trophyless, fifth-placed title defence.
- June 2026 — Liverpool appointed ex-Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola on a two-year contract.
- August 2026 — Iraola’s Liverpool bow ended in a late 2-2 draw at Newcastle.
- October 2026 — Liverpool sit one place and two points above Chelsea in the table.
Andoni Iraola’s Start at Liverpool
One of the main reasons why Liverpool sacked Slot was his style of play, which frustrated the Anfield faithful. Iraola’s style is similar to Klopp’s and is based on high pressing and direct play.
The 44-year-old enhanced his reputation following his managerial heroics during the 2025/26 season. He ended his Bournemouth gig with an 18-game unbeaten run that saw the Cherries secure a sixth-place finish, claiming European football in the process, the first time in the club’s history.
However, it took time for him to get his ideas across to the players, as Iraola failed to win any of his first 10 games in charge of Bournemouth. He does seem to be getting his ideas across to his new players, with the Reds unbeaten in five games.
Alonso, meanwhile, has a slightly poorer record in his new job. The Spanish coach won his first two league matches before going on a three-game winless run. Since then, Chelsea have been very inconsistent in the league and even lost against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
About Author
