Andoni Iraola to leave Bournemouth at end of next season
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola will depart the club at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, the Premier League side confirmed in an official statement on Tuesday. The announcement comes just three days after a notable 2-1 victory for the Cherries away at Arsenal, casting a shadow over the end-of-season celebrations for supporters.
The club's statement, published on its official website, read: "AFC Bournemouth can confirm that head coach Andoni Iraola will leave the club at the end of the 2025-2026 season." The 43-year-old Spanish coach, who arrived from Rayo Vallecano in the summer of 2023, has built a strong reputation in England for implementing an intense, high-pressing, and attacking style of play, as well as for developing young talent.
In comments released by the club, Iraola stated, "It has been an honour to manage AFC Bournemouth and I am proud of what we have achieved together. I think it is the right time for me to move on, but I will always carry fantastic memories of this club." His departure marks the end of a three-year tenure that saw Bournemouth establish a distinct identity in the top flight.
The news represents another significant change for a Bournemouth squad that has already seen major upheaval. Last summer, the club sold key players Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Illia Zabarnyi to Paris Saint-Germain, and Milos Kerkez to Liverpool. Now, the team must also plan for the loss of the architect of their recent progress. Bournemouth currently sit 11th in the Premier League table.
Iraola's next move is not yet known, but his work on the south coast has attracted attention from several clubs. For Bournemouth, the search for a successor who can maintain the team's upward trajectory will be a critical task for the board ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. The club now faces a prolonged transitional period, with one more season under Iraola before a new era begins.
