Bournemouth replace Gary O’Neil with Andoni Iraola in major shock despite easing to Premier League safety
ournemouth have sacked head coach Gary O‘Neil and swiftly replaced him with Andoni Iraola.
The Cherries completed the quick turnaround after announcing the “difficult” and surprise decision by owner and chairman Bill Foley to let O’Neil go.
“Gary’s achievement last season is one I will always be grateful for,” Foley said in an official Bournemouth statement. “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.
“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.
Shock exit: Gary O’Neil parted company with Bournemouth despite leading them to safety
/ Getty Images“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.”
Former Portsmouth and West Ham midfielder O’Neil, who had been on the coaching staff since February 2021 and the reign of Jonathan Woodgate, was initially promoted to Bournemouth caretaker boss last August as a replacement for Scott Parker, who was sacked just four games into the season despite successfully leading the club to promotion back to the Premier League following a two-year absence.
He oversaw 37 matches in total and achieved 10 wins and six draws in the League, with Bournemouth – among the pre-season favourites for relegation – eventually staying up comfortably and finishing 15th with a five-point buffer to the relegation zone.
O’Neil had been expected to lead the Cherries into another top-flight campaign, but instead the club have taken the decision to part ways with their head coach, who many felt was hugely unfortunate to miss out on a Manager of the Year nomination for his work at the Vitality Stadium.
Instead, ex-Rayo Vallecano coach Iraola – pursued by Leeds earlier this year – will take the reins for the upcoming season having impressed in the Spanish capital.
”We’re so excited to welcome Andoni to the club,” said Foley in a statement released only hours after O’Neil was sacked. “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.”
