Liverpool weigh up Stuttgart's Sebastian Hoeness alongside Iraola in manager search

Liverpool have identified Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeness as a potential managerial candidate alongside primary target Andoni Iraola, as the club moves quickly to replace Arne Slot following his dismissal on Saturday.

Slot was let go after Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League in his second season in charge, a sharp decline from the title-winning campaign that preceded it. The club lost 19 matches across all competitions, and sporting director Richard Hughes and chief executive Michael Edwards decided to act.

Iraola remains Liverpool’s first choice, with the Spaniard’s three-year tenure at Bournemouth — culminating in a sixth-place finish and Europa League qualification — having impressed the club’s hierarchy. Lens manager Pierre Sage has also been mentioned as a name in the frame.

Hoeness, however, represents an intriguing alternative. The 44-year-old took charge of Stuttgart in 2023 when the club were bottom of the Bundesliga and has since overseen one of the most striking turnarounds in recent German football. Stuttgart finished fourth in the Bundesliga this season to secure Champions League football, reached the DFB-Pokal final — where they were beaten by Bayern Munich — and Hoeness went on to win the DFB-Pokal in 2025, the club’s first trophy since the 2006/07 Bundesliga title. Across 152 games in charge, he has won 83.

Hoeness has drawn strong praise from within his own squad. Stuttgart striker Ermedin Demirovic was asked by a reporter whether his manager was the best German coach in world football and did not hesitate. “I don’t see anyone who is better than him or under whom I would prefer to train,” Demirovic said. “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 himself has spoken with evident pride about Stuttgart’s Champions League qualification. “We’ve achieved our big goal and qualified for the Champions League. That’s something special,” he said. “I take my hat off to the boys for how they stood up to it.”

With two years remaining on his contract at Stuttgart, it is unclear whether Liverpool will formally pursue Hoeness given their current focus on Iraola. The coming days are likely to determine how wide the club casts its net.