By Frank Dalleres
Bournemouth have moved quickly to appoint Spaniard Andoni Iraola as their new head coach after ruthlessly sacking Gary O’Neil.
Iraola, who rejected a move to Leeds United last season, joins after a three-year spell at Rayo Vallecano, who he led back into LaLiga and to an 11th-placed finish last term.
The 40-year-old becomes the fifth Spanish manager currently in the Premier League, along with Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and Julen Lopetegui. All bar Guardiola are from the Basque Country.
“We’re so excited to welcome Andoni to the club,” said AFC Bournemouth owner and chairman Bill Foley.
“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.
“We have identified a number of targets in the transfer market, which along with our January additions will supplement our strong playing squad to give Andoni the best chance to consolidate our Premier League status and keep progressing.”
Former Athletic Bilbao right-back Iraola, who won seven caps for Spain, has also previously managed Mirandes and AEK Larnaca.
O’Neil was dismissed earlier on Monday despite steering Bournemouth to Premier League safety after taking charge following Scott Parker’s sacking in August.
The 40-year-old was only promoted from his interim role in November but did not do enough to convince the US consortium headed up by Foley who bought the Cherries in December.
“This has been a difficult decision, but it has been made with great consideration to best position ourselves ahead of the coming season,” said Foley.
“As a club, we have put plans in place for long-term success with improvements being made to infrastructure, most notably the development of a new state-of-the-art training facility and the ongoing discussions around upgrades to our stadium.
“We have also identified a number of significant targets in the transfer market this summer and believe this change in direction will provide us with the best platform from which to build.
“Gary will go on to have a long career as a head coach or manager, but we feel that, at this moment in time, a change is in the best interests of this football club. I would like to place on record my thanks to Gary and wish him all the best for the future.”
