Andoni Iraola will begin his reign as Liverpool manager without a key member of his backroom staff, as head goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero has departed the club after only 12 months in the role. The Spaniard, who rejoined Liverpool from West Ham United last year, will not be part of pre-season training starting next week.
Valero's departure amicable, not linked to Slot exit
According to The Athletic, Valero's exit is entirely amicable and unrelated to the dismissal of former manager Arne Slot. The club is now considering candidates for a permanent replacement. In the interim, goalkeeper development and pathway lead Colin Stewart will cover the position.
Stewart also joined Liverpool last year after a nine-year stint at Rangers. He will oversee training for Alisson, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman, and Armin Pecsi until a successor is appointed.
Valero's second spell at Anfield
This was Valero's second stint at Liverpool, having previously served under Rafael Benitez from 2007 to 2010. He followed Benitez to Inter Milan, Chelsea, Napoli, and Real Madrid before a seven-year tenure at West Ham.
The departure comes as Iraola assembles his own coaching team. Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper join as first-team coaches, while Pablo de la Torre and Tom Webber arrive as assistant coach and tactical analyst respectively. Sipke Hulshoff, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Ruben Peeters, and Roderick van der Ham all left with Slot in May.
New era after disappointing campaign
Iraola's appointment signals a new beginning after a mixed season under Slot. Although Liverpool secured Champions League qualification with a fifth-place finish, a sluggish start cost them the Premier League title they won in 2024/25. Slot was dismissed, and Iraola moved from Bournemouth, where he led the Cherries to a sixth-place finish and Europa League qualification.
Discussing his new role, Iraola said: "Really excited, really excited. Because obviously you know about Liverpool, you know that it's a big club, a massive club, one of the biggest in the world. But feeling inside and understanding a little bit more of this club, I always thought it's a special club. You don't need a lot of things to get attracted by Liverpool. Liverpool is Liverpool. But obviously the atmosphere, the supporters, the club, the players, the chance for me to coach top-level players, the chance to fight for titles. I think it cannot be more attractive than this. It's difficult to find it. So, really excited to start."
