Monday, June 1, 2026
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Andoni Iraola Managerial Career: Ex-AFC Bournemouth Manager Chased Down By A Number Of Top Clubs

Subhadeep Roy · · 3 min read
Andoni Iraola Managerial Career: Ex-AFC Bournemouth Manager Chased Down By A Number Of Top Clubs
Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth – Premier League Andoni Iraola, manager of Bournemouth, gestures during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth at the City Ground in Nottingham, United Kingdom, on May 24, 2026. Nottingham Nottinghamshire United Kingdom Copyright: xMIxNewsx originalFilename:fletcher-nottingh260524_npv5r.jpg

The Andoni Iraola managerial career, especially during his time as AFC Bournemouth manager, has been quite impressive.

The Spaniard’s Bournemouth side finished sixth in the Premier League table with 57 points from 38 matches. They will play in the UEFA Europa League next season, which is an incredible success for a club like them.

The Andoni Iraola managerial career has seen him receive lots of praise from football lovers following his successful time with the Cherries. Bournemouth lost only seven of their 38 matches in the Premier League season, which goes on to show the solidity they had.

Andoni Iraola Managerial Career: Bournemouth Job Has Made Him A Wanted Man

The Andoni Iraola managerial career in the Premier League has made him one of the leading candidates for a more high-profile job like Liverpool’s, for example. Iraola, who is going to turn 44 this month, has been approached by the Reds after Arne Slot’s sacking.

The Spaniard might get the job at Anfield, which will allow him to compete for the Premier League title as well as in the UEFA Champions League.

Iraola, who managed Rayo Vallecano before joining Bournemouth, has not coached at a club as big as Liverpool; hence, the opportunity to go to Anfield should be a breakthrough in his managerial career.

The 43-year-old maintained a 37% winning ratio at Bournemouth, which is pretty decent at a mid-table club.

In addition, he has won 47 and lost 40 of the 127 matches he was in charge of at the Cherries, a positive win-loss record.

The Spaniard’s ability to do well with a limited budget is something that has been appreciated by most people in the football fraternity.

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PSG vs Arsenal During the football match between PSG vs Arsenal valid for the UEFA Champions League Final, on 30 05 2026 at the Stadium Puskàs Arena in Budapest NAPOLI PUSKAS Stadium CAMPANIA Hungary Copyright: xFABIOxSASSOxFabioxsasso FPAx 3C1A1093

Andoni Iraola Managerial Career: Previous Links To Manchester United

The Andoni Iraola managerial career made clubs like Manchester United take notice, and as a result, the Spaniard was in the reckoning for the United job before Michael Carrick was given a two-year contract.

However, his chances of getting the Liverpool job are bright at the moment, with the Reds making a few high-profile signings last season without much result. Should he get the job, Iraola’s job will be to win some silverware with Liverpool.

Iraola played for Athletic Bilbao for the majority of his career as a player and managed to earn seven international caps for Spain as well.

However, his playing career coincided with that of the golden generation of Spanish players, which meant that he struggled to make appearances for the national team.

However, he seems to be making amends as a manager by doing some good work in the Premier League. The Andoni Iraola managerial career makes him another of the cherished football managers from Spain alongside the likes of Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and Xabi Alonso.

The Spanish pedigree is definitely there, as is the experience of doing a good job with a team on a limited budget.

Now, it remains to be seen whether the Andoni Iraola managerial career enables him to continue his good work with a bigger and better team in the near future in England, as the Spaniard appears to be one of the front-runners for the job at Liverpool.

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Credit: IMAGO / NurPhoto

Subhadeep Roy

Subhadeep Roy is an experienced football writer with a particular interest in analysis of matches and club news. He follows the Premier League primarily and has been covering football for various websites since 2018.

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