Andoni Iraola facts for kids
Iraola in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Andoni Iraola Sagarna | ||
| Date of birth | 22 June 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Usurbil, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Bournemouth (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1991–1999 | Antiguoko | ||
| 1999–2000 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000–2001 | Basconia | 35 | (4) |
| 2001–2003 | Bilbao Athletic | 75 | (15) |
| 2003–2015 | Athletic Bilbao | 406 | (33) |
| 2015–2016 | New York City FC | 38 | (0) |
| Total | 554 | (52) | |
| International career | |||
| 2001 | Spain U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2003 | Spain U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 2008–2011 | Spain | 7 | (0) |
| 2003–2013 | Basque Country | 9 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2018–2019 | AEK Larnaca | ||
| 2019–2020 | Mirandés | ||
| 2020–2023 | Rayo Vallecano | ||
| 2023– | Bournemouth | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Andoni Iraola Sagarna (born on June 22, 1982) is a Spanish football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the English club Bournemouth.
During his playing career, Iraola mostly played as a right-back. He was known for being a tough player and for his good passing skills. He spent most of his professional career, 12 seasons, playing for Athletic Bilbao. He appeared in 510 official matches for the club.
Iraola started his coaching career in 2018. He managed Rayo Vallecano for three years. In 2023, he became the manager of Premier League club Bournemouth.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Club Football Journey
Time at Athletic Bilbao
Andoni Iraola was born in Usurbil, Gipuzkoa, Spain. He played youth football for Antiguoko with future stars like Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso. He then joined Athletic Bilbao's youth system.
Iraola made his first team debut for Athletic Bilbao in the 2003–04 season. He quickly became a regular player, often taking penalties and free kicks. In his first season, he played 30 games and scored five goals. This helped his team qualify for the UEFA Cup.
Over 12 seasons, Iraola always played in at least 30 league matches each year. He scored goals in all but one league season. He helped Athletic Bilbao reach three Copa del Rey finals and the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League final, finishing as runner-up in all of them. In 2007, he scored two goals in a big win against Real Sociedad.
In the 2012–13 season, Iraola did not score in the league. However, he remained the team's main right-back, playing 35 games. He scored his only goal that season in a Europa League match against HJK.
Iraola signed a new contract with Athletic Bilbao in December 2013, keeping him until June 2015. In his last league game for the club in May 2015, he scored a goal against Villarreal. He was the team captain in his very last match, the 2015 Copa del Rey final, which Athletic Bilbao lost to Barcelona.
Moving to New York City FC
On June 16, 2015, when he was 33 years old, Iraola moved to play for Major League Soccer club New York City FC in the United States. He played his first game for them on July 12, 2015, in a 4–4 draw against Toronto FC.
Iraola announced that he was retiring from playing football on November 17, 2016.
International Appearances
On August 20, 2008, Iraola was called up to play for the Spanish national team by coach Vicente del Bosque. He played his first game in a friendly match against Denmark, coming on as a substitute.
In March 2011, Iraola started a game for Spain against Lithuania in a Euro 2012 qualifier. He was expected to be part of the final squad for the tournament, but an injury prevented him from going.
Iraola also played for the Basque representative side for ten years. He made his debut for them in December 2003 against Uruguay.
Coaching Career Journey
First Steps at AEK Larnaca
Iraola became the manager of Cypriot club AEK Larnaca on June 18, 2018. He was in charge for almost seven months before being let go in January 2019.
Success with Mirandés
On July 10, 2019, Iraola took over as manager of Mirandés, a team that had just been promoted to the Segunda División (Spain's second division). He led the team to the semi-finals of the Spanish Cup. This was only the second time in the club's history they had reached this stage. Along the way, they beat top-tier teams like Celta, Sevilla, and Villarreal. He left the club in July 2020 when his contract ended.
Leading Rayo Vallecano
In August 2020, Iraola stayed in the second division and became the manager of Rayo Vallecano. On July 6, 2021, he helped the team get promoted to La Liga through the playoffs. He then extended his contract until 2022. In the next season, he once again led a club to the semi-finals of the national cup. This was only the second time Rayo had achieved this in 40 years.
In February 2023, Leeds United from the Premier League showed interest in Iraola. However, he was not allowed to leave Rayo Vallecano at that time. He left the club at the end of the 2022–23 season after turning down a new contract offer.
Managing Bournemouth
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On June 19, 2023, Iraola was named the manager of Bournemouth in the Premier League. He signed a two-year deal. His first game in charge was a 1–1 draw at home against West Ham United on August 12, where Dominic Solanke scored a late goal. He got his first win in the league in October 2023, beating Burnley 2–1.
Iraola extended his contract with Bournemouth on May 13, 2024, keeping him at the club until 2026. His team finished the 2023–24 season with their highest-ever points total of 48, finishing in 12th place. On November 2, 2024, he led Bournemouth to a 2–1 win over Manchester City. This victory ended Manchester City's amazing 32-game unbeaten run in the domestic league.
Managerial Style
Andoni Iraola likes his teams to play in a 4–3–3 or 4–2–3–1 formation. His main focus is on getting the ball back quickly after losing it. He uses fast wingers and midfielders who run a lot. His defensive midfielder often drops back to help build attacks from the back. This style aims to surprise the opposing team.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Basconia | 2000–01 | Tercera División | 35 | 4 | – | – | – | 35 | 4 | |||
| Bilbao Athletic | 2001–02 | Segunda División | 38 | 5 | – | – | – | 38 | 5 | |||
| 2002–03 | Segunda División | 37 | 10 | – | – | – | 37 | 10 | ||||
| Total | 75 | 15 | – | – | – | 75 | 15 | |||||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2003–04 | La Liga | 30 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 31 | 5 | ||
| 2004–05 | La Liga | 34 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 1 | – | 49 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 | La Liga | 38 | 3 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 42 | 3 | |||
| 2006–07 | La Liga | 35 | 5 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 37 | 5 | |||
| 2007–08 | La Liga | 36 | 1 | 5 | 1 | – | – | 41 | 2 | |||
| 2008–09 | La Liga | 33 | 6 | 8 | 0 | – | – | 41 | 6 | |||
| 2009–10 | La Liga | 37 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 52 | 2 | |
| 2010–11 | La Liga | 37 | 4 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 41 | 4 | |||
| 2011–12 | La Liga | 35 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 0 | – | 59 | 1 | ||
| 2012–13 | La Liga | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | – | 43 | 1 | ||
| 2013–14 | La Liga | 34 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 | 1 | ||
| 2014–15 | La Liga | 22 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | – | 33 | 2 | ||
| Total | 406 | 33 | 56 | 2 | 46 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 510 | 38 | ||
| New York City FC | 2015 | Major League Soccer | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Major League Soccer | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | 31 | 0 | ||
| Total | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | 40 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 554 | 52 | 56 | 2 | 46 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 660 | 57 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2008 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 7 | 0 | |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| AEK Larnaca | 23 May 2018 | 14 January 2019 | 29 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 41.38 | |
| Mirandés | 10 July 2019 | 21 July 2020 | 49 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 36.73 | |
| Rayo Vallecano | 6 August 2020 | 30 June 2023 | 136 | 54 | 32 | 50 | 39.71 | |
| Bournemouth | 1 July 2023 | Present | 87 | 34 | 21 | 32 | 39.08 | |
| Total | 301 | 118 | 79 | 104 | 39.20 | |||
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
Athletic Bilbao
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15
- Supercopa de España runner-up: 2009
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2011–12
As a Manager
AEK Larnaca
- Cypriot Super Cup: 2018
Individual Awards
- Premier League Manager of the Month: March 2024, January 2025
See also
In Spanish: Andoni Iraola para niños
- List of Athletic Bilbao players (200+ appearances)
- List of La Liga players (400+ appearances)
