Liverpool are looking for their next manager after dismissing Arne Slot following a fifth-place finish in the Premier League and Andoni Iraola isn't the only possibility
Sebastian Hoeneß Head Coach of VfB Stuttgart
Sebastian Hoeness has done a great job at Stuttgart(Image: Jürgen Fromme/Getty Images)
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Liverpool are chasing Andoni Iraola as Arne Slot's replacement, but are also reportedly keeping an eye on Sebastian Hoeness, who has developed a stellar reputation in Germany. Slot was surprisingly dismissed as manager on Saturday morning, with the club choosing to go in a different direction after a disappointing second season.
Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League and without any silverware, losing 19 matches across all competitions. Their dramatic collapse in form, after winning the title in Slot's debut campaign, was alarming and ultimately forced Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards to act.
They made the brutal call to end Slot's spell in charge and have made Iraola their number one target after the Spaniard's impressive three years at Bournemouth, which culminated in a sixth-place finish and a place in the Europa League.
There are other possibilities, however, with Stuttgart boss Hoeness and Lens manager Pierre Sage also reportedly in the picture. Hoeness led Stuttgart to fourth place in the Bundesliga to qualify for the Champions League, while they also reached the final of the DFB-Pokal, where they were beaten by Bayern Munich.
Hoeness, 44, has been with Stuttgart since 2023 after working at Hoffenheim and Bayern's reserve team. He is very well regarded by his players, with striker Ermedin Demirovic hailing his leadership recently.
Asked by Sky Sports if Hoeness was the best German coach in world football, he replied: "I don't see anyone who is better than him or under whom I would prefer to train. We have a great coach and a great coaching team who push the players and want to help them develop individually."
Demirovic added: "We have the fire we need and at the same time the relaxed attitude to play successful football."
Hoeness took over at Stuttgart when they were bottom of the Bundesliga and has inspired their turnaround. He won the DFB-Pokal in 2025 to claim the club's first trophy since the 2006/07 Bundesliga title.
Stuttgart's German head coach Sebastian Hoeness
Sebastian Hoeness led Stuttgart into the Champions League(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
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He has won 83 of his 152 games in charge of the club and is currently looking forward to competing in the Champions League next season. “We’ve achieved our big goal and qualified for the Champions League. That’s something special," Hoeness, who has two years left on his contract, said recently.
"I’d like to congratulate the team and the whole club: we’ve had a very consistent Bundesliga campaign. With the close battle for the Champions League places, the pressure was really on in the run-un. I take my hat off to the boys for how they stood up to it.”
It remains to be seen whether he features in Liverpool's recruitment process, given their current focus on Iraola. The ex-Bournemouth boss is available after leaving the Cherries and has been courted by Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen.
But the interest from Liverpool - and his former colleague Hughes - is expected to end in the 43-year-old taking over at Anfield.
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