Liverpool's Transformation Under Andoni Iraola and Adidas
Andoni Iraola hasn’t taken charge of a game at Anfield yet, but Liverpool already looks different.
The Basque coach arrives on Merseyside with a reputation forged at Bournemouth, where he dragged the club into European contention. Now he walks into a club undergoing a full-scale reset – and that overhaul is visible before a ball is even kicked.
Adidas, back in partnership with Liverpool after last year’s lucrative reunion, has moved quickly to stamp its mark on the Iraola era. The sportswear giant has rolled out a £60m matchday and training revamp for the 2026/27 season, reshaping everything from pre-match routines to the walk out of the tunnel.
Liverpool joins Adidas’ ‘Elite’ inner circle
Last season’s kit launch was a commercial jolt. With Adidas back on the shirt, Liverpool reported a staggering 700% rise in kit sales, with fans in more than 150 countries snapping up the new designs. That surge has paid off.
For 2026/27, Adidas has elevated Liverpool into its ‘Elite’ clubs bracket – a small, select group that includes Real Madrid, Manchester United and Arsenal. The upgrade is more than a marketing tagline. It brings with it exclusive ranges, special edition shirts and bespoke matchday wear that only those four clubs will have.
One of the headline pieces is a special pre-match shirt, reserved for Anfield games. It features a bold retro diamond pattern lifted from a classic 1994 Adidas template, a nod to the brand’s heritage and Liverpool’s own 90s aesthetic. Players will warm up in the design, pairing it with matching tracksuit tops that carry the same sharp, geometric motif.
The club has confirmed that the training shirts and so-called ‘stadium’ jackets – priced at £100 – are already on sale, giving supporters an early glimpse of the Iraola-era identity.
Retro edge for a new regime
The new manager’s unveiling told its own story. Iraola was introduced to Liverpool’s fanbase wearing the fresh training range, underlining how tightly the club has tied its sporting reset to its visual one.
Backed by training sponsor AXA, the collection leans heavily into 1990s styling: jumpers, jackets and t-shirts with a throwback feel, built around clean lines and that distinctive diamond pattern. It’s a deliberate choice, blending nostalgia with the sense of a new chapter.
Adidas has already launched the home shirt as part of the £60m agreement, but the rollout is far from complete. A third kit is scheduled to be revealed in April, while new leisurewear lines will drip-feed into the club’s offering as the summer rebuild gathers pace.
Even the pre-match look won’t stand still. The diamond-pattern warm-up shirts are set to be replaced midway through the season with a fresh design, keeping the visual story moving as Iraola’s team evolves on the pitch.
A fresh Anfield canvas
Strip away the numbers and templates and the message is clear: Liverpool is stepping into 2026/27 with an entirely new face. The club’s commercial power has helped fuel this transformation, but the timing is no coincidence. A new manager, a likely reshaped squad, and now a reimagined matchday identity.
Two years of Arne Slot give way to the Iraola era under the Anfield lights. The question now is simple: can the football match the ambition of the shirt on their backs?
