Liverpool backroom reshaped as Andoni Iraola brings trusted Bournemouth lieutenants | OneFootball

Liverpool have started a new era after sacking head coach Arne Slot and appointing Andoni Iraola. According to NY Times, compensation was agreed with Bournemouth and Iraola is bringing four trusted colleagues to Anfield.

Coaches Sipke Hulshoff, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Ruben Peeters, plus first-team tactical analyst Roderick van der Ham, departed with Slot. Van Bronckhorst has since taken charge at Feyenoord, with Hulshoff as his assistant.

Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper have joined as first-team coaches, Pablo de la Torre as assistant coach, and Tom Webber as first-team tactical analyst. All worked with Iraola at Bournemouth.

Elphick, a former Bournemouth captain and lifelong Liverpool supporter, rejected an approach from Bristol City this summer. He moved into coaching with Bournemouth after retiring in 2021 and was retained when Iraola arrived in 2023.

Cooper rose from Bournemouth’s academy to the first-team staff, initially under Gary O’Neil, and is recognised for set-piece work. One routine delivered a 2-0 win over Arsenal in 2024-25 when Lewis Cook’s corner via Justin Kuivert found Ryan Christie.

De la Torre has worked with Iraola since AEK Larnaca, then at Rayo Vallecano in 2020 and Bournemouth in 2023. He oversees conditioning for Iraola’s high-intensity approach, which will be central in pre-season and amid Champions League demands.

Source: NY Times