There are plenty of things Liverpool supporters have already learned about Andoni Iraola.
He is intense.
He is meticulous.
He wants his teams to play with energy, press aggressively and attack with purpose.
But there is another side to Iraola that is perhaps a little more unusual.
He has a matchday superstition that he has carried with him for more than two decades.
And once you know about it, you might start looking for it every time Liverpool play.
Look closely at Iraola’s hands
According to journalist Andy Jones, one of the first things Iraola does when he arrives at the stadium before a match is wrap tape around his right index finger and left middle finger, just above the knuckle.
And this isn’t something he has suddenly started doing.
He has been doing it for years.
In fact, Iraola has apparently carried the habit with him since his days in the Athletic Club academy.
He continued doing it throughout his playing career and into management.
That means this isn’t some new superstition that has appeared since arriving at Liverpool.
It has been with him for a huge part of his football life.
Even Iraola admits it’s stupid
The best part is that Iraola doesn’t even pretend there is any great logic behind it.
When he was Bournemouth manager, he was asked about the tape.
His answer?
Basically, it’s stupid.
He described it as a superstition and explained that he has simply done it for so many years that he continues to do it.
He even admitted that referees sometimes asked him to remove it when he was a player.
And when he did?
Nothing happened.
But the habit remained.
That’s probably the definition of a superstition.
You know it doesn’t really make sense.
But you keep doing it anyway.
From Athletic Bilbao to Liverpool
What I find interesting about this is how far back it goes.
Iraola came through the Athletic Bilbao system and went on to make more than 500 appearances for the club.
He wasn’t just another player passing through.
He became a hugely important figure at Athletic, spending 12 seasons with the first team and eventually captaining the club.
His career later took him to New York City FC before he moved into management.
Now, years later, that little piece of his playing career remains.
Every match.
Every pre-season game.
Every new club.
The tape comes out.
It actually tells us something about Iraola
Of course, it’s only a superstition.
The tape isn’t responsible for tactics, pressing structures or team selections.
But I do think these little habits tell you something about people.
Iraola is clearly someone who likes routines.
He’s analytical and incredibly demanding of his teams, but there is also a very human side to him.
He knows the tape doesn’t make him a better manager.
He knows nothing terrible is going to happen if he doesn’t wear it.
But after doing it for so many years, it has become part of his routine.
And sometimes football is full of these little rituals.
Players have lucky boots.
Managers have particular routines.
Supporters sit in the same seat or wear the same shirt for every game because they believe changing anything might bring bad luck.
Iraola has his tape.
I’ll definitely be looking for it now
I’ll be honest, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it before.
Now that I know about it, I’ll probably be looking at Iraola’s hands every time Liverpool’s cameras show him arriving at the stadium.
And I’m guessing I’m not the only one.
Imagine Liverpool are about to play a huge Champions League game.
The tension is building.
The players are walking out.
Iraola is on the touchline.
And somewhere underneath all the tactical planning and instructions, he’s got two little pieces of tape wrapped around his fingers.
It’s brilliant.
Football is full of little stories like this
This is what makes football managers fascinating.
We spend so much time talking about tactics, formations, transfers, results and statistics that sometimes we forget there are actual people behind it all.
Iraola might be the man responsible for deciding whether Liverpool play with two midfielders or three.
He might be obsessing over how to press an opponent.
He might be studying the smallest tactical details.
But before all of that?
The tape goes on.
And he’s been doing it since he was a kid.
Don’t mess with the routine
I don’t know whether Iraola genuinely believes the tape brings him luck.
From what he has said, he doesn’t.
But after doing it for so many years, why stop now?
Maybe Liverpool supporters should embrace it.
If Iraola arrives at Anfield with those two pieces of tape on his fingers, we’ll know everything is normal.
The routine continues.
And if Liverpool start winning trophies under Iraola, don’t be surprised if those little pieces of tape become part of the folklore.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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