Liverpool looks to be closing in on the appointment of Andoni Iraola as manager, and the 43-year-old looks as though he will be bringing his family with him to Merseyside
10:28, 03 Jun 2026Updated 10:28, 03 Jun 2026
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - MAY 19: Andoni Iraola the head coach / manager of Bournemouth poses for a photo with his family and the team after the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Manchester City at Vitality Stadium on May 19, 2026 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola brought his family with him to the UK when he joined Bournemouth(Image: Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola already looks to be taking a different approach to Arne Slot as Liverpool closes in on his appointment as manager.
The former Bournemouth boss looks set to take over at Anfield after Slot was fired at the weekend. A verbal agreement has been reached with Iraola, who is expected to sign a two-year contract, and be unveiled before the end of the week.
The 43-year-old is looking to bring his coaching staff with him from the Vitality Stadium, with Pablo de la Torre, Tommy Elphick, Shaun Cooper and Tom Webber eyed up, and they won’t be the only ones following him to Merseyside.
Iraola also looks set to bring his family with him to Liverpool, with wife Itziar and their two children having made the move over to the UK when he joined Bournemouth back in 2023.
“My family is very important. They are sacrificing a lot,” Iraola told BBC Sport back in September.
“I am going from country to country to the best clubs I have the opportunity to go, and they have to come with me. I am very clear I couldn't do this without them.
“If they tell me one day 'I want to go back home', I am leaving. We will go back home.
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“I know there will be a moment in my career when I will have to not be the protagonist, when my kids are older and I won't be the boss any more. I will be happy and we will go back home and I will be the supporting team behind. I know this moment will arrive.”
Iraola’s approach is vastly different to Slot’s, who moved to the UK on his own when he was appointed by Liverpool in 2024, leaving his wife and children behind in the Netherlands.
"Anyone who is married and has a good marriage, I think I do, would like to see the children and the wife a bit more,” Slot said last year. “My wife comes over for a couple of days every two weeks, the children unfortunately even less."
Slot also admitted his wife wasn't entirely comfortable with being in the public eye. "She finds that attention the hardest part of our lives," he explained.
A dejected Arne Slot applauds the Liverpool fans after losing to Manchester United.
Arne Slot moved to the UK without his family when he joined Liverpool(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
"She already had that at Feyenoord. She also prefers to get take-out food instead of us sitting down together. She feels differently that she is being watched or judged."
Slot’s approach became something of a sticking point with supporters during his difficult second year in charge, with some feeling that he wasn’t engaging fully with life at Liverpool, having also decided against taking Jurgen Klopp’s former home on Merseyside.
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It is not yet clear whether Iraola plans on moving to the area, although he did set himself up close to Bournemouth during his time with the Cherries.
“I live in a place for nature and walks - Bournemouth is one of the best places in the country,” he said.