--- source: thedugout.football generated: 2026-09-08T21:35:28.348Z last_updated: 2026-09-08T14:36:46+00:00 data_provider: API-Football canonical: https://thedugout.football/clubs/liverpool/news/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubGl2ZXJwb29sZWNoby5jby51ay9zcG9ydC9mb290YmFsbC9mb290YmFsbC1uZXdzL2FuZG9uaS1pcmFvbGEtYnJhY2VkLW1hc3NpdmUtbGl2ZXJwb29sLTM0NTg0Mjgx --- # Iraola braced for 'massive' Liverpool test as he speaks out on Hughes exit - **Source:** - **Published:** 8 Sept - **Club:** Liverpool - **Original URL:** https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/andoni-iraola-braced-massive-liverpool-34584281 The Reds entertain Atletico Madrid in the opening round of the league stage on Wednesday evening having earned a first win under their new boss with a 2-0 Premier League triumph at Ipswich Town last Friday. Iraola is considering whether to hand £123million new signing Bradley Barcola a first start with the France international having impressed on his debut from the bench at Portman Road and doubts over the fitness of Cody Gakpo, who missed training on Tuesday afternoon. And with other summer arrivals Victor Munoz, Jeremy Jacquet and on-loan Ronald Araujo also poised for a first European outing for Liverpool, Iraola - whose only previous European experience as a coach came with AEK Larnaca in the Europa League eight years ago - believes his new-look team face the first serious challenge of his tenure. "It is a special night for me," he said. "Everyone talks about Champions League nights at Anfield and the first game is against Atletico Madrid, one of the strongest oppositions that we are going to face (this season). "I know quite well Atletico Madrid, I know some of the players and it is going to be a big test. But it was going to be even if I wasn’t the manager. "It is a massive test for the team overall and it will show us a little bit where we are. We showed on Friday good signs and now we will see against a team like Atletico Madrid where we are." Barcola played for more than half-an-hour at Ipswich but may have to be content with a place on the bench as he builds match sharpness having failed to feature for former club Paris Saint-Germain during pre-season. "He is ready to play more minutes, he has been training quite normally," said Iraola. "The only thing is he hasn’t had the pre-season minutes that normally players have and we have to consider this. "But he is in a really good place. I see him like a normal player with the circumstances that he hasn’t had a lot of pre-season minutes to build his form." The clash against Atletico is a repeat of the opening game of last season's Champions League first stage, which Liverpool won 3-2 with a late Virgil van Dijk header. It also represents the Reds' first game since the departure of sporting director Richard Hughes, who was key to appointing Iraola as Arne Slot's successor in the summer having previously worked with the Spaniard at Bournemouth. The exit of Hughes follows that of close associate Michael Edwards from his post as chief executive of football at Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group earlier in the year. Iraola, though, has no concerns over his job being impacted as the Reds seek a new sporting director. "It wasn’t a surprise when the news came last weekend," he said. "Richard like I said with Michael (Edwards), they are very good in their jobs, they understand very well what they need to do and I wish him all the best in his next stages. "We are still working with the people that have been taking the decisions this summer. I have continuous connections especially with Mike Gordon and we talk about the needs and we will keep working. "Now it is a matter of the club deciding the next step where to go, the next direction. A lot of the people involved in the decisions they are still with us every day. I continue talking to them."