Andoni Iraola on the ‘privilege’ of facing Inigo Perez and a personal link to Villarreal
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola discusses the upcoming Champions League match against Villarreal, highlighting his close friendship with opposing manager Inigo Perez. Iraola notes the professional distance they have maintained leading up to the high-stakes encounter.
Why it matters
The human interest angle provides insight into the personal relationships behind professional football rivalries at the elite European level.
Andoni Iraola has described the opportunity to come up against long-time friend and Villarreal counterpart Inigo Perez as a ‘privilege’.
Previous Next The pair will be in opposing dugouts for Tuesday night’s Champions League encounter at Anfield as Liverpool look to build on two wins from two so far in the league phase of the tournament.
Trying to thwart the Reds’ attempts will be Perez, someone Iraola has known since the early days of his playing career at Athletic Club in Bilbao and has since formed a close friendship with.
Indeed, the Liverpool boss appointed the 38-year-old as his assistant while in charge of Rayo Vallecano in 2022 and, a year later, attempted to bring him to AFC Bournemouth but was denied by an unsuccessful work permit application.
“For me it’s a special game because Inigo is my friend,” Iraola explained during his pre-match press conference on Monday afternoon.
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