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Liverpool appoints Andoni Iraola, earmarks Florian Wirtz as central No. 10
Andoni Iraola took over as Liverpool manager in the summer of 2026 and immediately outlined a tactical shift for German international Florian Wirtz. Iraola said he intends to use Wirtz primarily in a central attacking‑midfield role – the traditional No. 10 position behind the striker – after the player spent his first season on the wing under former coach Arne Slot. Wirtz welcomed the plan, describing the training camp in Chicago as “fun” and expressing confidence that the role suits his strengths.
During Liverpool’s preseason tour in the United States, Wirtz started the match against Leeds United at Soldier Field and scored, confirming his readiness for the new position. The club’s broader summer activity includes a focus on squad reinforcement, but the central narrative is Iraola’s commitment to restoring Wirtz to the role that made him a standout at Bayer Leverkusen and for the German national team.
Entities
Andoni Iraola · Arne Slot · Florian Wirtz · German national football team · Germany national football team · Julian Nagelsmann · Jürgen Klopp · Liverpool FC
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Liverpool will play a pre‑season friendly against Leeds United in Chicago. www.sportsoftheday.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Andoni Iraola succeeded Arne Slot as Liverpool’s head coach. www.sportsoftheday.com · www.abola.pt · www.bild.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] Wirtz said the training sessions in Chicago have been fun and he enjoys them. www.sportsoftheday.com · anfieldindex.com · www.abola.pt
- [● 3 SOURCES] Liverpool’s pre‑season training camp is taking place in the United States. www.sportsoftheday.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Florian Wirtz joined Liverpool last summer for a transfer fee of about €125 million (£116 million). www.sportsoftheday.com · www.abola.pt · www.bild.de
- [● 6 SOURCES] Andoni Iraola plans to use Florian Wirtz as a central attacking midfielder (number 10) behind the striker at Liverpool. www.merkur.de · www.sportsoftheday.com · www.abola.pt · anfieldindex.com · www.bild.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] In his first season at Liverpool, Wirtz made 49 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing ten assists. www.sportsoftheday.com · www.abola.pt · www.bild.de
- [● 2 SOURCES] Jürgen Klopp was appointed Germany head coach and Wirtz said it would be “very cool” to be managed by him. www.rousingthekop.com · www.mopo.de