Andoni Iraola, the new Liverpool manager, has revealed that former Athletic Club boss Ernesto Valverde is the biggest influence on his coaching career, ahead of more famous names like Marcelo Bielsa and Vicente del Bosque.
Speaking on Liverpool's pre-season tour of the United States, Iraola said: "If I have to choose one I always say Ernesto Valverde. I had him when I was in the academy and he was the one who gave me the chance to play in the first team. I also had him towards the end of my Athletic Club career. I learned a lot from him."
Valverde's common sense approach
Iraola, who has gone from managing in Cyprus with AEK Larnaca to the Liverpool dugout in eight years, praised Valverde's common sense. "He never made problems bigger than they were. He always understood the players. He was very firm with the things he believed in. But how he treated the players, both those who were playing and those who weren't, I liked it a lot," Iraola said.
Valverde was considered as a candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp two years ago but is remembered at Anfield for presiding over Barcelona's 4-0 Champions League semi-final defeat in 2019.
Spanish coaching influence
Iraola also discussed the success of Spanish and Basque coaches at the elite level, including Mikel Arteta, Luis Enrique, Unai Emery, and Luis de la Fuente, who recently won the World Cup with Spain. He attributed their success to a sense of collectiveness.
"Spain has never had the best athletes. If you analyse, in swimming, track and field, they don't normally win medals. But in collective sports they are very good. In football, basketball, handball, hockey. Normally they have good teams. We always put the team first," Iraola said, citing Rodri as an example.
Rebuilding connection with fans
Iraola acknowledged the need to rebuild the connection between the team and fans after a difficult campaign last season. "I think the first thing is try to play well. I think football is what helps you more, but it’s not just only about playing well. This helps a lot but I think the supporters have to feel identified with what they see on the pitch," he said.
"The most important thing that we can deliver is our performances. It doesn't matter if I speak well, if I don't speak well, if I say the right things or if I don’t say the right things. At the end people just want to see the team play well and deliver good results. I know this is 90% of my job."
He added: "For me, now, it is about creating a very good team to beat, a very difficult team to beat. The team that I envision now, that I see and think of, if we become that team, I think we are going to be successful."
