Former Rayo Vallecano coach Andoni Iraola has chosen to join Bournemouth after leaving Los Franjirrojos at the end of his contract.
The much-coveted Basque manager was linked with moves to Almeria, Celtic, Olympique Marseille and more this summer, but Bournemouth have signed Iraola to a two-year contract.
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Andoni Iraola as the club's new head coach.
Welcome to #afcb, Andoni 🤝
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) June 19, 2023
Earlier in the day Bournemouth had sacked Gary O’Neill, despite many believing that he had done a good job by finishing 15th in the Premier League in their first season back up.
Iraola is highly-rated in Spain, having taken Rayo into La Liga and then secured comfortable midtable finishes in both of his seasons there. In addition, Iraola employed an attractive and open style of play at Rayo, with pacy attacks coming down the flanks.
At just 40 years old, Iraola is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Spanish management. Previously he had done well with Mirandes in Segunda, and with both of his last two sides, he took them to Copa del Rey semi-finals. On both occasions, he performed far above what the resources at his disposal would have suggested.
