Liverpool are chasing Andoni Iraola as Arne Slott’s successor, with Sebastian Hoeness also on the shortlist. The Stuttgart manager has an outstanding reputation in Germany. Slott was unexpectedly sacked as manager on Saturday morning, with the club opting to move in a different direction after a disappointing second season. Liverpool failed to win a silver medal in the Premier League, finishing in fifth place and losing 20 times in all competitions.
Slot’s dramatic decline in form after winning the title in his first year proved alarming and eventually forced Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards to intervene. They took the ruthless decision to end Slott’s reign and identified Iraola as their primary target after the Spaniard’s impressive three-year spell at Bournemouth, which saw them finish sixth and qualify for the Europa League.
But alternative options also exist, with Stuttgart coach Hoeness and Reims coach Pierre Sarge also reportedly under consideration. Hoeness led Stuttgart to fourth place in the Bundesliga and qualified for the Champions League, but they also reached the DFB Pokal final, but lost to Bayern Munich.
Hoeness, 44, has been with Stuttgart since 2023 after spending time in the reserve teams of Hoffenheim and Bayern. He commands great respect from his players, with striker Elmedin Demirovic recently praising him, saying he couldn’t have asked for anyone better.
Asked by Sky Sports if Hoeness is the best German coach in world football, he replied: “There is no one better than him and no one I would want to train under. We have a great coach and a great coaching team who want to push the players and help them develop individually.”
Demirovic continued: “We have the necessary enthusiasm but at the same time a relaxed attitude to play successful football.”
Mr Hoeness took charge when Stuttgart were entrenched in the lower Bundesliga, and has overseen their remarkable resurgence. He secured a place in the DFB Pokal in 2025 and won the club’s first silver medal since the 2006/07 Bundesliga Championship.
He has won 83 of his 152 games as manager of the club and is currently preparing for the next Champions League appearance. “We achieved a big goal and qualified for the Champions League, which is special,” Hoeness, who has two years left on his contract, said recently.
“I would like to congratulate the team and the whole club. We have had a very solid season in the Bundesliga. It was a close battle for Champions League qualification and there was real pressure on us in the game. Hats off to the players who withstood it.”
Given the current focus on Iraola, it remains unclear whether he will emerge as a more serious candidate in Liverpool’s reinforcement process. The former Bournemouth manager is a free agent after leaving the Cherries and has attracted interest from Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen.
However, the 43-year-old is expected to take over as manager at Anfield following interest from Liverpool and former colleague Hughes.
