Andoni Iraola to leave Bournemouth at end of season

Andoni Iraola will leave Bournemouth when his contract expires at the end of this season.

The Athletic reported on Tuesday Iraola would be departing following the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign and the club later confirmed the news, with the Spaniard describing it as the “right moment to step away”.

Iraola last signed an extension in the summer of 2024, having joined Bournemouth 12 months earlier on an initial two-year deal.

Bournemouth sources say they tried everything possible to keep Iraola after 15 months of negotiations and, though they are disappointed to lose him, respect his decision and maintain a strong relationship. The squad has been informed of the head coach’s departure at the end of the campaign.

The south coast club are already underway with the search for Iraola’s replacement. Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna features highly in their thinking but other candidates are under consideration. Ipswich, who are challenging for Premier League promotion, want to keep McKenna but the Northern Irishman’s contract at Portman Road does contain a release clause.

“It has been an honour to manage AFC Bournemouth and I am proud of what we have achieved together,” Iraola said in a press release. “I’m thankful to the players and staff that I’ve worked with, as well as Bill, who have all made my time here so special.

“I feel this is the right moment for me to step away, but I will always carry fantastic memories of this club.”

The Athletic reported at the beginning of April that Iraola, 43, is one of Crystal Palace’s targets, after manager Oliver Glasner confirmed he will leave the south London side at the end of the season in January. La Liga side Athletic Club were also interested in making Iraola their next head coach, with Ernesto Valverde announcing his upcoming exit last month, but sources now regard that as unlikely.

Iraola was previously targeted by Tottenham Hotspur in March 2025, who would have had to pay his £10million ($13m) release clause to secure his services. Tottenham eventually appointed Thomas Frank from Brentford after sacking Ange Postecoglou in June.

Chairman Billy Foley credited Iraola with being “instrumental in shaping the direction” of the club.

“He brought intensity, innovation, and a clear philosophy that elevated AFC Bournemouth both on and off the pitch,” Foley said.

Bournemouth are 11th in the Premier League table and unbeaten in 12 league games.

Having lost star defenders Dean Huijsen, Ilya Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez, as well as forward Dango Ouattara, in the summer transfer window, a strong start to the campaign was followed by an 11-game winless streak. But Iraola’s side have not lost in the league since a 3-2 defeat by league leaders Arsenal on January 3, and beat Mikel Arteta’s side at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday to break their five-game draw streak.

Iraola joined Bournemouth from Rayo Vallecano to replace Gary O’Neil in June 2023 and has won admirers for the Vitality Stadium club’s attacking and entertaining style of play. He had previously helped guide the Spanish side to an 11th-place finish in La Liga.

Bournemouth finished 12th in Iraola’s first season in charge. Though the 2024-25 campaign started with just one win from Bournemouth’s first five games, they recovered to finish ninth in the league, nine points outside of the European qualification places.

Iraola’s impact on the Premier League

Analysis by football data writer Thom Harris

It wouldn’t be too much of an exaggeration to suggest that Iraola’s ideas have helped to alter the tactical landscape of the Premier League that we see today.

He transformed Bournemouth into an aggressive, high-pressing side throughout his three years at the club, encouraging his players to be proactive and take risks to disrupt the opposition build-up, before hitting quickly on the break. He led them to their record points tally last season, masterminding wins over Manchester City and Arsenal, leading Pep Guardiola to describe Bournemouth as a “modern football” side. As we can see from their play-style wheel below, few teams across Europe combined defensive intensity and direct play quite as effectively.

Full of physicality, athleticism and pace, Iraola’s team did not allow dominant possession sides to rest assured with the ball, a philosophy that seems to have inspired a mini-revolution across the Premier League, with clubs attacking faster and running harder than ever before.

For Bournemouth, Iraola’s conviction to his ways allowed the club to plan ambitiously. He improved players who had the physical capabilities to play his football, and attracted those who wanted to follow a similar path. Such cohesion from the top down helped Bournemouth to grow within their means, generating millions in transfer profit as they continued to scale the league. And although he never managed to take them to Europe, Iraola rose the floor considerably — just like he did at Rayo Vallecano — at a club who might have meandered back towards relegation without such a sense of identity in how they played.

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