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Chelsea chose not to pursue Andoni Iraola as their next manager due to concerns about the stark tactical contrast between the newly appointed Liverpool head coach and the Blues' previous managers, according to a report.
Enzo Maresca's exit in January threw Chelsea into disarray, with Liam Rosenior's troubled spell at the helm ending in yet another managerial search this summer. Following discussions with Iraola, the London club ultimately turned to Xabi Alonso, who is set to begin his role on July 1.
The Athletic reports that Chelsea executives came away impressed by Iraola, whose stock rose considerably over the past year during his final campaign at Bournemouth, but their primary concern was how the existing squad would adapt to his playing philosophy.
Consequently, Chelsea moved to secure a deal with Alonso roughly two weeks before Liverpool found themselves searching for a new manager. This time, there were no similar reservations about Iraola being the right fit.
Why Iraola Suits Liverpool More Than Chelsea
No one is questioning Iraola's Premier League credentials, and the fact that he guided a team to finish comfortably ahead of Chelsea will not have gone unnoticed by Blues officials. This is a manager who clearly understands how to build a competitive squad in England's top division.
Chelsea's reservations were not about the finer details of Iraola's tactics, but rather the significant gap between the new Liverpool manager's footballing vision and the approach favored by those within the Stamford Bridge dressing room.
Under Maresca, and during Rosenior's brief time in charge, Chelsea leaned into a possession-oriented style of play, emphasizing passing and positional control to stifle opponents and break down defenses. Whether they executed that vision successfully is an entirely separate debate.
That remains the preferred philosophy of those at Stamford Bridge, who felt Iraola simply wasn't the right match. At Bournemouth, he constructed a high-intensity, combative side that thrived on pressing and rapid ball movement—two very contrasting ends of the tactical spectrum.
Iraola's approach appears to be a poor fit for Chelsea but, crucially, it seems almost tailor-made for Liverpool, who have no desire to replicate the same tactical identity as the Blues.
Former Reds boss Jürgen Klopp popularized what became known as a "heavy metal" style of football built around—as expected—intensity, pressing, and physically overwhelming opponents. When Klopp's Liverpool lost possession, the expectation was to win it back instantly and convert a counter-attack into a goal-scoring opportunity at the earliest chance.
Liverpool drifted from that identity under Arne Slot, whose title-winning reign unraveled with a pointed farewell message from Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian, a cornerstone of the Klopp era, took to social media to call for the return of "heavy metal" football, with several teammates publicly backing his sentiment.
The players want that style back. So do the supporters and the club's ownership. On paper, Iraola looks like precisely the right man for the role.
Liverpool have found their "heavy metal" frontman in Iraola, while Chelsea have secured their possession-first tactician in Alonso. This could be one of the rare occasions in football where, remarkably, everyone walks away a winner.