Liverpool is back in Champions League action in midweek, with Andoni Iraola facing off against an old friend of his in the Villarreal dugout

Andoni Iraola will be hoping that an old teammate, coach, and friend of his doesn't come back to haunt him when Liverpool takes on Villarreal in the Champions League in midweek.

The Reds have a perfect record in Europe so far this season, picking up two wins from two after beating Atletico Madrid in the opener, following up by a 6-3 thrashing of LASK just last week.

In Villarreal, Liverpool faces another tough challenge, with the Spanish side having caused some problems for the Merseyside outfit in the past.

While Iraola will be wanting to write another chapter in the club's long history in European competitions, the opposite dugout will contain a familiar face that could well haunt him in a surprise reunion.

The opposite number for the head coach is Inigo Perez. The 38-year-old is well-acquainted with Iraola, with the pair playing alongside each other for Athletic Club before they both took to coaching.

Perez ended up becoming an assistant coach under the Spaniard at Rayo Vallecano, where the pair were united for another year until a move to Bournemouth was on the cards.

While there was hope that Iraola and Perez could both move to the Premier League club, the latter had his work permit rejected, which ended up with him taking on the vacant Rayo Vallecano job in 2024, which he held for two years before he took the Villarreal job this summer.

That work permit decision may have changed the course of history, with the two coaches now set to face off in the Champions League. "We tried to take him to England," Iraola explained during his pre-match press conference. "He was here but he couldn’t work because he didn’t receive the work permit.

"We tried to do everything to convince, I think there is a panel who decides if you are good enough, but they considered he was not good enough to be an assistant coach. I complained in that moment because I was coming with just two guys - Pablo [de la Torre] and Inigo - but it has worked very well for him also because he could take Rayo Vallecano, he’s done very well and now he is coaching in the Champions League with Villarreal and I am so, so happy for him.

That decision has seen history play out to this moment on Tuesday, which will create an interesting reunion. “For me it’s a special game because Inigo is my friend,” the Liverpool boss said.

“We’ve known each other since the academy years at Athletic Club, we played with each other in the first team, and as soon as he retired I was quick enough to grab him to help me as an assistant. We’ve been through a lot of things together, so it is also a privilege for me to face him in a Champions League game.

“He knows me very well, he knows everything, but also it is a team I follow, I know the players and it is going to be little bit strange, yes, but in a good way.”

It remains to be seen which of the two friends will end up on top, but it sets up another interesting narrative ahead of Liverpool's clash with Villarreal.