Iraola confirms pre-season tweaks and World Cup return plan in first Liverpool squad update

Andoni Iraola has revealed his first significant decisions as Liverpool head coach, confirming he will largely preserve the pre-season framework already in place while adjusting schedules around the club’s eight World Cup representatives.

The 43-year-old Spaniard was appointed as Arne Slot’s permanent successor following Slot’s dismissal, with his three-season tenure at Bournemouth cited as the foundation for his move to Anfield. Iraola wasted little time addressing how he intends to handle the transitional period before competitive football resumes.

“Yes, there was already a lot of work done even before we arrived, and we are trying to change as little as possible for the beginning,” Iraola said. “Obviously there will be different timetables, some of them depending how far they arrive with the national teams, they will incorporate later or sooner. I think everything is in place so everything is quite smooth and there are no problems.”

With a significant portion of Liverpool’s senior squad involved in the World Cup, Iraola acknowledged that his immediate priority is building relationships with the backroom staff rather than the players themselves, many of whom are either on holiday or on international duty.

“For me right now, I think it’s more than talk to the players,” he explained. “I want to talk to the staff, to the people that were here every day, that know very well the players, to arrive as ready as possible to that first day of pre-season.”

Iraola also pointed to the younger players who will participate in pre-season as a key focus, stressing the importance of creating the right environment from day one of his tenure.

“I think especially with a lot of those young players that will do the pre-season with us, a lot of things about the organisation, about the staff, about how we can create the best atmosphere, the best environment so when they arrive day one, everyone feels everything is in place,” he said. “It’s true that it’s going to be new staff, new people coming in, but I would like also to value a lot the ones that have been here working for the club with these players, that are really the ones that will help us more at the beginning.”

Separately, Liverpool’s senior players have reportedly given a positive response to Iraola’s appointment, though the club’s decision to part with Slot — who led the Reds to the Premier League title last season — has not gone unnoticed within the dressing room. Liverpool’s summer transfer activity is also expected to be substantial under the new head coach.