Bournemouth manager Iraola to leave at end of season

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Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola will leave the club at the end of this season, the Premier League side announced Tuesday.

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The Spaniard joined the south coast club in 2023 and led them to their equal highest top-flight finish of ninth last season, earning their highest points tally of 56, and reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals.

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“It has been an honour to manage AFC Bournemouth and I am proud of what we have achieved together,” said Iraola in a club statement confirming his departure.

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The 43-year-old Spaniard joined in 2023, replacing then head coach Gary O’Neil.

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But his contract expires after the end of the current campaign and talks over a new deal were unsuccessful despite Bournemouth reportedly wanting to keep Iraola at the Vitality Stadium.

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The Spaniard, one of the most highly-regarded coaches in Europe, may now leave the Cherries for free at the end of the campaign.

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Iraola has been linked with a return to Spanish side Athletic Bilbao as well as Manchester United.

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He spent 12 years at Bilbao as a player, making over 500 appearances for the club.

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Tuesday’s announcement came just days after Iraola, who has six games left at Bournemouth this season, oversaw a superb 2-1 win away to Premier League leaders Arsenal last weekend.

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Iraola’s final home game will be against Manchester City on Sunday, May 17, ahead of a trip to Nottingham Forest on the last day of the Premier League campaign.

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He could bow out on a high by securing the first European qualification in Bournemouth’s history.

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The Cherries are currently 11th, two points adrift of a seventh-placed finish, which would get them into next season’s Conference League.

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