Liverpool star opens up on Iraola's coaching

Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz has endorsed the vision of new manager Andoni Iraola, expressing optimism after a tumultuous debut season at Anfield.

​Speaking after Liverpool's 3-2 pre-season defeat to AS Monaco, the 23-year-old Germany international offered a glowing assessment of the Spanish coach, noting that the squad is already responding positively to his methods.

​The playmaker highlighted Iraola's impressive track record in the Premier League as a source of confidence for the dressing room.

“The last three years he did at Bournemouth, you could see what he can do with the team,” Wirtz said in comments made to Sky Sports.

​He added that the transition has been seamless on a personal level. “Of course we are looking forward to working with him. The first couple of weeks, I can just say that I'm enjoying it. It’s only been two weeks I’m in training but I’m enjoying and I like the idea of football he has.”

​Iraola’s arrival is a reset for Liverpool following a disastrous 2025/26 campaign under former manager Arne Slot.

​Despite unexpectedly winning the 2024/25 Premier League title in his first season, Slot rapidly lost control of the dressing room the following year. 

The Reds plummeted to a fifth-place league finish, conceding a staggering 78 goals across all competitions and 53 in the Premier League alone.

​This spectacular collapse ultimately forced the Liverpool hierarchy to dismiss the Dutchman and trigger Iraola's departure from Bournemouth, where he had successfully managed from 2023 to 2026.