Bournemouth have appointed Andoni Iraola former Atletico Bibao Boss as their new head coach after announcement of sacking Gary O’Neil.
O’Neil took charge of Bournemouth last August after Scott Parker was sacked and was handed an 18-month deal in November to become the club’s permanent manager.
The Cherries won 10 games under O’Neil and drew a further six to secure their Premier League safety with four games to spare.
However the club confirmed on Monday morning that they would move on from O’Neil, and later in the day confirmed the arrival of Iraola.
Bournemouth owner and chairman Bill Foley said
“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.”
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Former Athletic Bilbao defender Iraola took over at Rayo Vallecano in 2020 and led them to promotion to La Liga in his first season in charge.
They then reached the Copa del Rey semi-finals the following campaign before an 11th-place finish last season.
His arrival caps off a whirlwind day for the Cherries after the surprise dismissal of O’Neil.
“Gary’s achievement last season is one I will always be grateful for,” said Foley.
“This has been a difficult decision, but it has been made with great consideration to best position ourselves ahead of the coming season.
“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.”
