New Liverpool Era Begins In Chicago Under Andoni Iraola

CHICAGO — Andoni Iraola's first preseason as Liverpool head coach is beginning in familiar territory.

Liverpool arrived in Chicago this week to open a two-week American training camp that will conclude Aug. 2 against Leeds United at Soldier Field. It is a return to the city for Iraola, who coached AFC Bournemouth at the stadium during the 2025 Premier League Summer Series.

This time, however, Iraola arrives in charge of one of global soccer's most recognizable clubs — and amid an especially prominent moment for Spanish soccer.

Spain defeated Argentina, 1-0, after extra time Sunday to win the 2026 World Cup at New York New Jersey Stadium. Ferran Torres scored the deciding goal in the 106th minute as Spain captured its second men’s world championship and first since 2010.

"When you have a World Cup, you don't have a lot of trainings. You don't have a lot of friendlies before the season starts," Iraola said Tuesday during a press conference at the Endeavor Health Performance Center in Chicago. "Every training session, preseason friendly for us is massive because some times we lack days of training properly, training with the whole group of players, so everything we get from every friendly we play, we have to use it properly."

For Liverpool, nine players were on World Cup rosters including:

• Alisson Becker — Brazil
• Wataru Endo — Japan
• Cody Gakpo — Netherlands
• Ryan Gravenberch — Netherlands
• Virgil van Dijk — Netherlands
• Alexander Isak — Sweden
• Alexis Mac Allister — Argentina
• Florian Wirtz — Germany
• Victor Muñoz — Spain

Liverpool kicks off the Premier League season on the road Aug. 23 at Newcastle.

Iraola is also beginning his Liverpool tenure alongside fellow Spaniard Xabi Alonso, who took over at Chelsea this summer. Together with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, the appointments have created a remarkable Basque coaching connection among three of England’s most prominent clubs.

"Yes, we are very good friends. We've known each other since we were 8, 9 years old. We played together in the same league," Iraola said.

Iraola, Alonso and Arteta all grew up near San Sebastián in northern Spain and played youth soccer for Antiguoko Kirol Elkartea during the 1990s. The amateur youth club produced three boys who would eventually become managers of Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.

"It's a pleasure for me," Iraola added. "They are very good coaches. Coaching against Xabi will be hard, but I think it's nice for Barcelona."

A New Liverpool Era

Liverpool hired Iraola in June to succeed Arne Slot.

Iraola arrived after three seasons at Bournemouth, where his teams finished 12th, ninth and sixth in the Premier League. His final campaign included an 18-match unbeaten run and ended with Bournemouth qualifying for European competition for the first time in club history.

The 43-year-old earned a reputation for an aggressive, high-intensity style built around pressing, direct attacks and quickly regaining possession.

Liverpool also hired four members of Iraola's Bournemouth staff: first-team coaches Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper, assistant coach Pablo de la Torre and tactical analyst Tom Webber.

Iraola said during his introductory Liverpool press conference that he wants to create a team supporters can feel proud of and one that reconnects with the club’s fan base, according to Liverpool FC.

The Chicago camp offers his first extended opportunity to establish that identity away from the pressures surrounding Liverpool’s regular training base in England.

Liverpool Settles Into Chicago

Liverpool departed England on Monday with an initial 31-player traveling squad and identified Chicago as its training base for the American tour.

The group includes established first-team players, younger prospects and several players continuing injury rehabilitation. Additional senior players are expected to join later after completing their World Cup commitments, according to Liverpool FC.

The traveling party includes Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa, Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez, Harvey Elliott, Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Wataru Endo and Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Liverpool began its stay with a stretching session at the team hotel and a walk near Lake Michigan before its first full workout in the city.

The club's tour diary also included some unmistakable Chicago details. Team personnel passed Mr. Beef, the River North restaurant associated with the television series "The Bear," while traveling from O'Hare International Airport to their hotel.

Players later encountered supporters near the hotel, while Szoboszlai stopped for photographs with a family that crossed paths with him in an elevator.

Liverpool is expected to conduct its local training sessions in the Chicagoland area, though the club's written tour announcements have not publicly identified the venue.

Iraola Returns To Soldier Field

The Aug. 2 match will not be Iraola's first appearance on the Soldier Field sideline.

Iraola brought Bournemouth to Chicago in July 2025 for the Premier League Summer Series, a four-team American preseason tournament featuring Bournemouth, Manchester United, Everton and West Ham United.

Bournemouth faced Manchester United on July 30 in the second game of a Soldier Field doubleheader. West Ham and Everton played the opening match.

The tournament also included matchdays at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with each team playing three games.

Bournemouth's Chicago appearance came during Iraola’s third and final preseason with the club. He was preparing a team that would go on to finish sixth in the Premier League and earn its historic European qualification.

One year later, he returns with a considerably different assignment.

At Bournemouth, Iraola was charged with helping an ambitious smaller club exceed expectations. At Liverpool, he inherits a team expected to compete for the Premier League title and major European trophies.

Three Basque Coaches At Premier League Giants

Iraola’s move to Liverpool is part of a broader Spanish storyline entering the 2026-27 Premier League season.

Alonso officially began work as Chelsea manager July 1 after agreeing to a four-year contract. He arrived after coaching Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid, while Arteta is entering another season at Arsenal after taking over the club in 2019.

All three came through Antiguoko, an amateur club based in San Sebastián.

Iraola was born in Usurbil, a small town near San Sebastián, before progressing through Athletic Club’s academy. He spent 12 senior seasons with Athletic, making 510 appearances, and later finished his playing career with New York City FC. He also appeared seven times for Spain.

Alonso was born in Tolosa and Arteta in San Sebastián. Though they followed different playing and coaching paths, all three were shaped by the soccer culture of Spain’s Basque Country.

They now lead Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal — three clubs likely to compete directly for England’s biggest prizes.

That connection has become even more notable following Spain's World Cup triumph. Spain conceded only one goal during the tournament and defeated Austria, Portugal, Belgium, France and Argentina during the knockout stage.

Liverpool’s U.S. Tour

Liverpool will play three matches during its American trip.

The Reds face Sunderland on July 25 at Geodis Park in Nashville before traveling to New York to meet Wrexham on July 29 at Yankee Stadium. The tour finale against Leeds is scheduled for 3 p.m. Central time Aug. 2 at Soldier Field.

The club says more than 26 million Liverpool supporters live in the United States. Liverpool also has 62 official supporters clubs across 32 states and international academies in 12 states, while the United States is its largest international retail market, according to Liverpool FC.

The LFC Foundation and former players are also expected to participate in community and supporter events during the tour.

For Iraola, the trip provides training time with a squad assembled in stages because of World Cup participation and injury rehabilitation.

Premier League’s Growing Chicago Presence

Liverpool’s visit continues Chicago’s long relationship with major international soccer and a more recent run of Premier League events.

The Premier League brought its official Summer Series to Soldier Field in 2025, with Manchester United, Bournemouth, Everton and West Ham taking part. The Chicago matchday featured two games and accompanying fan events designed to reproduce elements of the English matchday experience.

Liverpool's most recent Soldier Field appearance came in July 2014, when Raheem Sterling scored in the fifth minute of a 1-0 preseason victory over Olympiacos.

The stadium also hosted the opening game of the 1994 World Cup, when Germany defeated Bolivia, 1-0.

The Liverpool-Leeds match is not part of the Premier League Summer Series, but it provides another opportunity for Chicago supporters to see two English clubs preparing for the new league season.

It also marks Liverpool's first Soldier Field appearance in 12 years and Iraola’s second in consecutive summers.

Soldier Field Finale

Liverpool's match against Leeds will be its final American test before returning to England.

For Iraola, the game will offer an early measure of how quickly his tactical demands have begun to take hold. It will also provide Chicago supporters with their first close look at the new Liverpool era.

The larger story surrounding Liverpool's trip extends beyond the result of one preseason match.

A new coach is beginning work at one of England's largest clubs. His native country has just returned to the summit of world soccer. Two of his former youth-club contemporaries are managing major Premier League rivals.

And nearly 4,000 miles from Liverpool, Iraola is beginning that next chapter in a city he already knows.