Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has been reflecting on his side's draw in the Champions League, with some huge games coming up for the Reds this season.
Liverpool's Spanish head coach Andoni Iraola applauds fans on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Liverpool
Andoni Iraola has discovered Liverpool's Champions League opponents(Image: (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images))
Andoni Iraola has claimed it will be "special" to lead Liverpool out in the Champions League this season, reflecting on the draw for the campaign's league phase.
The Reds qualified for the competition once again via the Premier League last time out, though it was in fifth place, with the division's coefficient offering another route into Europe's top competition.
After successive exits at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, Iraola will be keen to put together an impressive run in his first experience of the Champions League with Liverpool.
There are some huge fixtures ahead, with Inter Milan away at the San Siro and Atletico Madrid coming to Anfield being teed up by the draw that took place on Thursday.
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FC Porto, Villarreal, Club Brugge, Fenerbahce, RC Lens, and LASK all await Liverpool in a run of fixtures that the club will believe they can qualify from.
With the challenge of balancing the Premier League with the Champions League, as well as the domestic cup competitions, Iraola will be tested in a way that he hasn't been so far in his managerial career.
"It's an interesting and difficult draw but we understood in advance that however the draw went we would be facing strong opposition, and that is exactly how it has worked out," the head coach told the official Liverpool website.
"This is the strength of the Champions League and why competing in it is such a big test. Each of these games will present a difficult challenge in their own way, so we will have to prepare for them as best as possible and give our very best on the pitch.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - AUGUST 23: Andoni Iraola, Manager of Liverpool, inspects the pitch before the Premier League 2026/27 match between Newcastle United and Liverpool FC at St James' Park on August 23, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola is looking to bolster his Liverpool squad with two new wingers before Tuesday's deadline (Image: Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
"It's up to us to be ready, but we have two important Premier League games before then, which will be our full focus before we look at the Champions League.
"But the Champions League is a challenge that we are definitely looking forward to, and it is also exciting for our supporters in terms of the European nights we can experience at Anfield and the visits to stadiums in Italy, Belgium, Austria and Turkiye.
"Coming here, I knew how special the Champions League is and how much it has been part of Liverpool's history, so it will be an honor for me and my staff to work with the team in this tournament."
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The order of those fixtures will be revealed in due course, with Iraola able to plot out the course for his team to reach the knockout stages in the coming weeks of the campaign.
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It will be a new experience for the manager, who has been questioned over his style of play and whether the players can cope with the intensity across a full season that includes matches every few days.
Those discussions will be put into practice in the months ahead, as Liverpool looks to battle across all competitions.