This weekend’s round was good for Chelsea who have finally picked up the pace after a slow start to the season and the weekend was miserable for Liverpool who lost to invincible Manchester City.
A reporter has explained why Liverpool chose Andoni Iraola over Xabi Alonso after Arne Slot was sacked.
Video of Bruno Fernandes leaving Old Trafford after Tottenham game goes viral
Liverpool sacked Slot in May following the conclusion of the club’s 2025/26 season, which ended without trophies – after they had won the Premier League title in 2024/25. He wrote an open letter to Liverpool fans after the dismissal.
Iraola was chosen to replace Slot, with the highly regarded manager vacant after his contract at Bournemouth expired at the end of the season.
But had Liverpool parted ways with Slot earlier, they could have hired club legend Alonso, who was available until he was picked up by Chelsea.
Alonso was announced as Chelsea’s new manager on May 17, and the Spaniard has made an impressive start to his time at the club. It has been suggested that Liverpool missed out on Alonso, but Kevin Hatchard claims that idea is “completely wrong”.
Why Liverpool went for Andoni Iraola over Xabi Alonso
Liverpool went for Iraola over Alonso because of a crucial factor. Hatchard suggests that Iraola’s style of play is much closer to Jürgen Klopp’s “heavy metal” football.
On X, he wrote: “I think this idea that #lfc missed Xabi Alonso because they sacked Slot too late is completely wrong. He’s a great coach and a Liverpool legend, but if you want aggressive, fast and upbeat football, he’s not your man. Iraola is much closer to Klopp’s ‘vollgas’ style.”
The Athletic’s Oliver Kay backed up Hatchard’s report by suggesting that Liverpool could easily have spoken to Alonso before he took the Chelsea job.
“It was told to me clearly in March that if they were looking for a new coach (which was not the intention at the time), it would not be Alonso – roughly for the reasons you mention. If they had wanted to, they could very easily have spoken to him before he took the Chelsea job. (After all, he has the same agent as Iraola.) They didn’t,” he said on X.
A style of play reminiscent of Klopp
One of the main reasons why Liverpool sacked Slot was his style of play, which frustrated the Anfield crowd. Iraola’s style is similar to Klopp’s and is based on high pressure and direct play.
The 44-year-old manager bolstered his reputation after his coaching exploits in the 2025/26 season. He ended his stay at Bournemouth with an 18-game unbeaten run, securing the Cherries a sixth-place finish – and European Cup football for the first time in the club’s history.
However, it took time for him to get his ideas across to the players. Iraola didn’t win any of his first 10 games as Bournemouth boss. At Liverpool, he has also struggled so far to put his ideas into practice – with just nine points out of a possible 18 in the league.
Alonso, on the other hand, has a slightly better record in his new job. The Spanish coach won his first two league games before going on a three-game winless run. Chelsea, however, are back to winning form and have passed Iraola’s Liverpool in the table.
Radiosporten: Antonio Nusa is called up for a title fight in the Premier League!
