A few minutes after announcing the sack of Gary O’Neil, AFC Bournemouth have announced Andoni Iraola as their new head coach.
Iraola joins the Cherries on a two-year deal after the expiry of his contract at La Liga side Rayo Vallecano.
We’re so excited to welcome Andoni to the club. With his contract in Spain coming to an end this summer we wanted to act quickly.
“He was highly sought after by other clubs across the continent, and his style of play has been an important factor in making this decision. His achievements in Spain have certainly been very impressive and we’re confident that he is the right man to lead our next chapter.”
The 40-year old helped Rayo finish 11th on the Spanish La Liga table last season.
He started his managerial career at Cyprus’ AEK Larnaca in 2018 before moving to Spain in 2019 to manage Mirandes for one season.
Iraola, as a player featured mostly for Athletic Bilbao, appearing in 510 competitive matches over 12 seasons. He also played at New York City for one season before he retired.
The Spaniard replaces O’Neil who helped Bournemouth to avoid relegation last season after finishing 15th on the log.
