Andoni Iraola took a pen between his fingers and began to gesticulate wildly. The year was 2020, and the former Athletic Club defender -- who was the manager of Spanish second-tier club CD Mirandés at the time -- was one of the keynote speakers for a webinar discussing the demands of elite-level coaching.
"Football is not black and white," he explained with a smile. "Everything is gray and in the end, we have to try to establish some guidelines. But we cannot control everything."
Fast-forward to the present day, and Iraola looks set to be charged with controlling the fortunes of a soccer behemoth as Liverpool close on a deal to appoint him as their new head coach. After a season in which he led AFC Bournemouth to their first European campaign with a sixth-placed Premier League finish, the 43-year-old is now the leading contender to replace Arne Slot, who was relieved of his duties last weekend after two vastly different seasons at Anfield.
Despite winning the title at the first time of asking in 2024-25, after stepping into the shoes of the legendary Jurgen Klopp, Slot's turbulent sophomore campaign on Merseyside ultimately convinced the Liverpool hierarchy of the need for change in the dugout. Sources told ESPN that sporting director Richard Hughes informed Slot of the decision on Saturday morning, less than two hours before the official club announcement was posted online.