How Andoni Iraola rose from a horror start to top coaching target

He joked 'Who the f*** is this guy?' as he bade farewell to supporters at the Vitality Stadium on 19 May 2026. Bournemouth had just drawn 1-1 with Manchester City and, at 43, the Basque coach had been the architect of the club's rise. He had announced he would not renew his contract after three years; while Marco Rose is set to take over, Iraola has been linked with AC Milan and Crystal Palace, Bayer Leverkusen are believed to be favourites and Liverpool have entered the picture.

His start was rocky: Bournemouth failed to win any of their first nine matches, losing six. From 3 January — after a 2-3 loss to Arsenal — the team went 18 matches unbeaten, climbing from 15th to 6th and securing the club's first European berth, a remarkable turnaround for a side that had been hamstrung by a 17-point penalty in the fourth tier just 15 years earlier.

Player departures tested him.

andoni iraola, bournemouth, vitality stadium, marco rose, ac milan, crystal palace, bayer leverkusen, liverpool, unbeaten run, fourth tier