Iraola has been appointed the new head coach of Liverpool on a two-year contract as he switches life in Bournemouth for Merseyside.
Liverpool moved quickly to replace Arne Slot and were linked with a number of well known names including former Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso who found great success with Bayer Leverkusen.
However, Alonso agreed to join Chelsea which ruled him out before Slot was sacked meaning that Iraola was the prime candidate to lead the side into the new season.
Why Iraola over Alonso?
Now, as fans debate over who would have been a better selection, Mendieta has spoken to Grosvenor Sport who offer the best world cup betting odds about how Iraola had an advantage over his compatriot.
“Andoni Iraola is a great fit for Liverpool thanks to his style, but also because Iraola has already been in the Premier League. The players have already seen the style of football he plays on a weekly basis, and they have seen what it's all about.
“With Xabi Alonso, players would’ve seen him at Leverkusen, but I'm sure none of them watch Madrid or Leverkusen in every single match.
“So I think in that way, Iraola has a bit of an advantage over Xabi Alonso in the sense that the players and fans have seen the way he works in more detail, and I'm sure they'll be happy because, obviously, Iraola is a fantastic manager.
“It was also a surprise how he announced he was leaving, but there was not really anything lined up. Maybe he knew something we didn't, but it was after a successful season and getting into Europe, he decided to leave.
“It's a great signing by Liverpool as well. I think both teams will have fantastic managers but there are obviously challenging seasons ahead of them both.”
Iraola left Bournemouth after guiding the club to a record-breaking sixth-place finish in the Premier League and their first ever European qualification, with a spot in the Europa League confirmed for next season. Fans will be eager to see what he can bring heading into the new campaign.