Andoni Iraola is expected to sign his Liverpool contract this week, but it will only last two years.
The Spaniard is arriving at Anfield on the back of one of the worst seasons since the Brendan Rodgers era.
After previously managing Bournemouth, Iraola already has doubters at Liverpool, but that is not why he is signing a two-year contract. Instead, that is simply how the coach prefers to operate because, as he put it, managers need to earn the right to stay at a club by getting results.
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Andoni Iraola thinks managers need results to stay at a club
As per the BBC, Iraola previously explained his preference for shorter deals while he was still in charge of the Cherries.
He said: “I don’t think managerial contracts are as important as player contracts, because I have to get results at the end of the day. I can have whatever contract, but if I don’t get the results for three or four months then I will be in danger.
“So I try to focus on the short-term in terms of doing my job and getting the results, and normally everything is fine.
“It was a little bit different in Spain. When I was at Rayo Vallecano, a lot of the time I used to renew my contract after the season. I renewed my contract twice after the season had ended there.
“I wouldn’t feel pleased with signing a new contract just to have the assurance that if they sack me, I will receive some money. I believe you have to earn the right to it every season.
“It doesn’t matter if you have another three years on your contract or not as a manager because if one party isn’t happy, normally it breaks off. So, for me, there has to be a renewal of confidence from both parties every year.
“Marcelo Bielsa, Ernesto Valverde and Inigo Perez approach their contracts in the same way as me, so it isn’t something that I specifically do. There are plenty more coaches with this approach, and I think it is quite fair.”
That is exactly what Liverpool fans will want to hear heading into next season.
Iraola may be inexperienced at top, top clubs, but he seems like the type of character who is determined to bring as much success as possible to ensure that his short-term deals are extended.
His focus is mainly on the short-term and ensuring results are going his way, which is what Liverpool need on the back of such a disappointing 2025/26.
Meanwhile, signing a manager to a long-term contract can often hamper a team and, more often than not, lead to a major payout when results aren’t going their way.
In the worst case, Liverpool will only have to pay out for sacking Iraola with under two years of a contract to run.
But in the best case, it sounds as though he would be more than happy to keep extending his contract each season if things go well at Anfield.
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