Andoni Iraola: The ‘obsessive’ coach guiding Bournemouth to Europe
Humble and smiling, Iraola is now in heroic status at Bournemouth. No wonder, when fans can watch football of this quality, with Dango Ouatarra scoring a hat-trick and Justin Kluivert scoring a hat-trick.
Those around the club marveled at Iraola’s relaxed demeanor before the match, happy to chat to staff 20 minutes before kick-off while the warm-up games continued on. His love for an online game called Football Bingo is used as a relaxing break during the week’s analysis sessions with his backroom team.
Iraola got hooked on the football trivia questions involved and also satisfied his competitive side, even seeing the leaderboards for the game.
Away from the training ground, cycling is another form of relaxation, although the Dorset hills offer no challenge to keep him glued to Le Tour.
On the training ground he worked alongside two former Bournemouth stalwarts in Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper.
When he was appointed he brought in compatriot Pablo de la Torre but it did not follow the usual pattern of an influx of staff, even after the appointment of now Rayo Vallecano coach Inigo Perez was planned but he was rejected due to work permit issues .
Iraola went on to play 10 games to get his first league win, but external speculation was never reflected within the club. Those accepted endured a difficult start, with Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Arsenal among the likes of each other in that opening period.
Those at Bournemouth saw enough to justify their faith in the man, leaving many to replace the sacked Gary O’Neill.
This disaster for Forest was everything to Iraola’s Bournemouth, with the ball being moved swiftly into attacking possession, happy to use the long ball, in front of their potent attackers (even without the injured 40m Sterling can do their job before signing Evan Nelson.
Illala’s side are eager to get quickly into the opponent’s half and then cause danger by relying on the possessions they possess or pinching the ball through fierce pressure.
Bournemouth lost Dominic Solanke to Tottenham in the summer but we can hardly see him joining. The transition is seamless.
Former sporting director Richard Hughes is now at Liverpool and still deserves credit for his work, while former Bournemouth captain Simon Francis – his assistant for four years – has been successful played this role.
Central defender Illia Zabarnyi exemplifies a smart recruitment, signed from Dynamo Kyiv in January 2023 for £24m, plus the Spanish 21-year-old Below is teenager Dean Huijsen, brought from Juventus for £12.8m last summer.
Bournemouth have not lost since the union 11 games ago as both beat the Stockings but cut an unlikely figure but resulted in a strong obstacles.
Hat-trick hero Ouatarra, 22, is priced at £20m from Lorient in January 2023, while Kluivert now looks a bargain after a £9.6m move from As Roma in June 2023.
Hungary’s left-back Milos Kerkez is back against Forest again and is already a hot property after arriving from AZ Alkmaar in July 2023.
Illara wants his players to be tactically smart and physically capable of reaching their peak – and it was all on display as they simply carried too much for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
He prides himself on knowing his role and uniting every player, perhaps best demonstrated when Ryan Christie replaced Markou in the 2-0 win over Arsenal in October. S Tavernier – brought a kick that replaced the opening goal, much to the delight of the players and those who devised the strategy.
Illara is playing down European talk but if Bournemouth can perform like this and get a result against Premier League leaders Liverpool at the Vitality Stadium in seven days’ time, his stature will rise even further for those joyous fans. Supporters will make travel brochures stand out. .
