Viva Andoni: The Kop’s New Iraola Anthem And What It Says About Liverpool
Trust Liverpool’s faithful to set the tone before a ball’s even been kicked. Andoni Iraola hasn’t managed a competitive minute for the Reds yet, but already the Kop has handed him something priceless: a full-throated anthem ready to rattle the rafters on opening day.
How the Kop found its voice
Iraola arrives with credit in the bank after a superb 2025/26, steering Bournemouth to sixth and a first-ever European qualification — the sort of overachievement that makes Anfield sit up. His early interviews crackled with intent, and that energy has spilled onto the terraces. Merseyside singer-songwriter Kieo has led the charge with a version that’s gone viral — topping 1.8 million views on X — and it sounds tailor-made for the big red chorus.
The lyrics: Viva Andoni Iraola
Viva Andoni Iraola
No pasaran the pledge that makes us fight
Adelante is the cry amongst The Kopites
Let us sing for Liverpool tonight
The tune and its roots
The melody borrows from Christy Moore’s “Viva la Quinta Brigada” — translated as “Long live the Fifth Brigade” — a stirring tribute to Irish volunteers who stood up to General Franco during Spain’s Civil War. There’s symmetry here that will speak to Iraola: a proud son of the Basque Country, a region whose language and identity were targeted under Franco. It also mirrors Liverpool’s own character — a left-leaning, working-class city that embraces solidarity as a way of life.
Echoes from the terraces
The anti-fascist thread gives the chant a timeless, defiant pulse — much like other terrace favourites inspired by protest songs across Europe. It’s an omen Reds fans will happily carry into Iraola’s first campaign.
Other anthems doing the rounds
There’s more than one tune in the Anfield hymn book for the new gaffer. Supporters have reworked the beloved “He drinks Sangria” melody — once belted out for European Cup winner Luis Garcia — swapping in nods to Iraola’s Bournemouth switch and his front-foot pressing football.
A faster, TikTok-fuelled version is gathering pace too, and it’s catchy enough to catch fire if results roll in:
“Woke up this morning to the Reds on top, A forty-yarder flying into the Kop,
Who’s the man that makes us play? I-RA-O-LA!”
Pundit’s verdict: why it matters
Chants don’t win points, but they do set standards. Iraola’s blueprint is intensity and cohesion, and this anthem gives the whole project a heartbeat before kick-off. Expect transfer churn as he tailors the squad to his pressing game, but the early signs are that the Kop has found its banner song for a new era.
With a new boss, new goals and a summer of recruitment ahead, even neutrals will feel the buzz. For those tracking title races, top-four pushes and pre-season odds, our best betting sites guide is a handy companion — but at Anfield, belief drowns out numbers. Expect this chant to thunder round the ground from day one.
