Xavi Valero has stepped down as Liverpool’s head of first-team goalkeeper coaching, according to The Athletic.
The experienced Spanish coach will not be part of new manager Andoni Iraola’s backroom staff when pre-season begins at Kirkby next week.
Xavi Valero informed Liverpool before the end of last season that he wanted to return to Spain, just 12 months after rejoining the club from West Ham United.
His departure is unrelated to Arne Slot’s dismissal and both parties are understood to have parted ways amicably.
Liverpool are now assessing candidates to replace Valero, with goalkeeper development and pathway lead Colin Stewart set to take over on an interim basis. Stewart joined the club last summer after nine years with Rangers.
First-choice goalkeeper Alisson will miss the start of pre-season following his World Cup involvement with Brazil, who were eliminated by Norway in the last 16. Liverpool’s senior goalkeeping group also includes Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman and Armin Pecsi.
Valero previously worked with Rafael Benitez at Liverpool between 2007 and 2010 before reuniting with him at Inter, Chelsea, Napoli and Real Madrid. He later spent seven years at West Ham before returning to Anfield last summer.
Iraola has already added four members of his former Bournemouth staff, including Tommy Elphick, Shaun Cooper, Pablo de la Torre and Tom Webber.
Several members of Slot’s coaching team, including Sipke Hulshoff, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Ruben Peeters and Roderick van der Ham, left the club after his departure.
Liverpool’s individual development lead coach Luiz Fernando Iubel, however, will remain as part of Iraola’s new era at Anfield.
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