Andoni Iraola has announced his departure from AFC Bournemouth at the end of the current Premier League season, bringing an emotional close to a highly successful tenure that elevated the Cherries from survival candidates to established top-flight contenders.
The 43-year-old Spaniard expressed deep gratitude in his farewell statement.
“It has been an honour to manage AFC Bournemouth and I am proud of what we have achieved together.
“I’m thankful to the players and staff that I’ve worked with, as well as Bill Foley, who have all made my time here so special. As for the fans, you have continued to show your fantastic support… I feel this is the right moment for me to step away, but I will always carry fantastic memories of this club,” he said.
Chairman Bill Foley praised the outgoing boss warmly. “
Andoni has been instrumental in shaping the direction of this football club over the past three seasons,” Foley noted.
Iraola joined Bournemouth in June 2023 after guiding Rayo Vallecano. He quickly stamped his progressive, high-pressing style on the team. In his first full season, he steered the Cherries to a solid 12th-place finish.
Read also on New Daily Prime :EPL: City keep title hopes with 3-0 victory over Chelsea
EPL: Arsenal’s title lead cut after 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth
The following campaign saw them soar to 9th, their highest Premier League position in years. This term, Bournemouth sit 11th with six matches remaining three points adrift of sixth-placed Chelsea and still harbour European ambitions.
As a player, Iraola enjoyed a decorated 12-year spell at boyhood club Athletic Club (Bilbao), where he made over 500 appearances and reached major finals. He helped the Basque side finish as Copa del Rey runners-up three times and as Europa League runners-up in 2012, before a brief stint at New York City FC in MLS.
Iraola launched his managerial career in 2018 with Cypriot side AEK Larnaca. He immediately claimed silverware by winning the Cypriot Super Cup. However, he departed after just seven months. Next, he took charge of Segunda División outfit Mirandés, where he orchestrated a memorable Copa del Rey run that reached the semi-finals despite the club’s modest resources.
In 2020, Iraola moved to Rayo Vallecano and delivered promotion to La Liga in his debut season. He then consolidated the Madrid-based club in the top flight with attractive, attacking football over three campaigns, overseeing 136 matches with 54 wins, 32 draws and 50 defeats.
At Bournemouth, the numbers reflect steady progress: across 121 matches to date, Iraola recorded 44 wins, 37 draws and 40 losses
Overall, in his managerial career spanning AEK Larnaca, Mirandés, Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth (335 matches), he has amassed 128 wins, 95 draws and 112 losses.
Iraola has earned individual recognition too, including Premier League Manager of the Month awards in March 2024 and January 2025, becoming the first Bournemouth boss to claim the honour since Eddie Howe.
With his contract expiring this summer, speculation now intensifies over his next destination. The former Athletic player has been heavily linked with a return to San Mamés, especially as Ernesto Valverde prepares to step down. Yet, Iraola’s impressive work in England has undoubtedly placed him on the radar of several ambitious clubs across Europe.
