The club has now decided to part ways with Gary O'Neil and replace him with Andoni Iraola.
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Premier League club Bournemouth have announced that Spaniard Andoni Iraola will replace Gary O’Neil as the club’s new head coach. It is a decision that will come as a surprise to many people simply because of the fact that O’Neil had did what he was asked to from the side in the 2022-23 season. After flirting with relegation for good periods of the campaign, there were genuine fears of Bournemouth going down. However, O’Neil did a commendable job of help the club avoid relegation.
However, after guaranteeing the safety, Bournemouth lost their final four games to end the Premier League season in 15th place. The club has now decided to part ways with Gary O’Neil and replace him with Andoni Iraola. He has performed impressively well as the head coach of Rayo Vallecano. He helped them secure a 11th-placed finish in La Liga last campaign. Iraola, who predominantly played as right-back during his playing days, was known for his time with Athletic Bilbao. He has also represented the Spanish national team on seven occasions.
Speaking about the announcement, Bournemouth owner and chairman Bill Foley, quoted by the club’s website, 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. We have identified a number of targets in the transfer market, which along with our January additions will supplement our strong playing squad to give Andoni the best chance to consolidate our Premier League status and keep progressing.”
Earlier, a statement was released on Gary O’Neil’s departure from Bournemouth. “Gary’s achievement last season is one I will always be grateful for. 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,” Bill Foley stated.
“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.”
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