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Another Spaniard, Pep Guardiola, even used Iraola’s side as an example of “modern football” last year.
Guardiola said: “Today, modern football is the way that Bournemouth play, that Newcastle play, Brighton play – Liverpool have always been like that.”
In 2025-26, Bournemouth went on an 18-game unbeaten run.
Fans at Anfield will hope for a similar upturn now that Iraola has the chance to work with a squad of established stars and big-money signings.
The new head coach will certainly look to build a strong relationship with fans – counting that rapport as important as results on the pitch.
Iraola said in his BBC Sport interview last year: “The most important thing when I come to a new club is this: when I leave, I hope everyone has good things to say about me.
“When I come back 10 years later, I still have relationships with people inside the clubs. This has happened in all the clubs I have been and I hope it continues.”
Iraola got to sample the Anfield crowd in the opening game of last season when Bournemouth were level at 2-2 with Liverpool before the Reds won thanks to late goals from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah.
“I’ve been the other side – I still remember the goal Chiesa scored at the end of the first game of the season,” Iraola said on Thursday, as his appointment was rubber-stamped at Liverpool.
“We were there with 2-2 thinking that probably we could take something. He scored and the place erupted. It was crazy, no? I want now to feel this from the other side.
“At the beginning when you arrive at any club, I think you need to kind of prove a little bit yourself.
“You need to earn the right also to belong. I want to do this as quickly as possible so I can also celebrate with them and I can be part properly of those celebrations.”
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