2026-07-24 09:20:07

Andoni Iraola is determined to give Liverpool supporters a team they can “identify” with.

The Spanish coach is preparing for his debut campaign at Anfield after replacing Arne Slot over the summer and has stated his aim of building a side that Reds fans can be proud of.

Iraola told ESPN: “For me, now, it is about creating a very good team to beat, a very difficult team to beat.

“The team that I envision now, that I see and think of, if we become that team, I think we are going to be successful. But now, me, talking about that team, the long-term success and the goals … in the end you have to do the job.

“I think the supporters have to feel identified with what they see on the pitch. Sometimes it’s not about just putting one ball in the top corner. A lot of times the ones watching the game are … OK, they cannot do it, but they can run, they can fight for the balls, they can press, they can fight until the last line for every situation and when they see this from the players of their team it’s easier to get behind that team. I will encourage my team to give them these things.”

Iraola stressed that the team’s performances and results on the pitch are by far the most important thing about managing Liverpool.

The former Bournemouth boss said: “The most important thing that we can deliver is our performances. It doesn’t matter if I speak well, if I don’t speak well, if I say the right things or if I don’t say the right things. At the end people just want to see the team play well and deliver good results. I know this is 90 per cent of my job.”

Iraola believes that his experience as a player at Athletic Bilbao (who have a Basque-only player policy) will stand him in good stead for the challenge that lies ahead at Liverpool.

He said of the La Liga outfit: “It is a very special club. You have to maximise every player you have in the squad. You cannot sell him and choose another one a lot of times.

“As a player, you have to give extra. The only way that policy can be successful is if you give 100 per cent. This creates a connection and you see they win things, they have never been relegated.

“I see a lot of things [similar to Liverpool]. This sense of belonging, of being a little bit different. This connection, also, with players from the academy. The atmosphere of Anfield. This is one of the biggest clubs in the world and, in some way, the comparison [to Athletic Club] probably isn’t fair. But in a lot of ways I see a lot of things similar.”

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