![]() Iraola in 2023 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Andoni Iraola Sagarna[1] | ||
Date of birth | [1] | 22 June 1982||
Place of birth | Usurbil, Spain | ||
Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
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 | 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 (Basque pronunciation: [andoni iɾa.ola s̺aɣarna], Spanish: [anˈdoni iɾaˈola saˈɣaɾna]; born 22 June 1982) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who is the current manager of Premier League club Bournemouth.
Utilised primarily as a right-back through his career, he was highly combative and possessed good passing skills. He spent the vast majority of his professional career with Athletic Bilbao,[2] appearing in 510 competitive matches over 12 seasons.[3]
Iraola began managing in 2018, being in charge of Rayo Vallecano for three years.
Iraola was born in Usurbil, Gipuzkoa.[4] He played as a youth for Antiguoko,[5] alongside teammates such as Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso, Mikel Alonso and Aritz Aduriz.[6] A product of Athletic Bilbao's youth system at Lezama, he made his debut with the first team in the 2003–04 season, becoming first-choice while often taking penalties and free kicks.[7][8][9] On 30 August 2003, he made his first La Liga appearance, starting in a 1–0 home loss against FC Barcelona,[10] and his five goals in 30 appearances helped the team to qualify for the UEFA Cup.[1]
During his 12 seasons, Iraola never played fewer than 30 league matches, scoring in all but one league campaign – like former club legend Aitor Larrazábal, who played as a left-back[3][11]– while also helping the Basque side to finish second in three Copa del Rey tournaments and the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League. On 28 January 2007, he netted twice in a 2–0 away win over neighbours Real Sociedad, who were finally relegated; Athletic narrowly avoided the drop, ranking in 17th position.[12] He played his first cup final in 2009, a 4–1 loss to Barcelona at Mestalla in Valencia,[13] and three years later helped them to finish runners-up in both the domestic cup[14] and the Europa League.[15]
2012–13 marked the first year where Iraola failed to find the net in the league, but he continued to be the side's first-choice in his position as he featured in 35 games. His only goal of the season came on 24 August 2012 in a 6–0 home rout of HJK Helsinki in the playoff round of the UEFA Europa League (9–3 on aggregate).[16]
Iraola renewed his contract with the club on 4 December 2013, keeping him at the San Mamés until 30 June 2015.[17] In the 24th minute of his last league appearance against Villarreal CF in May 2015, Aritz Aduriz offered him the taking of a penalty kick but he declined, so the former converted it instead; the two players then combined for Iraola to score from open play four minutes later.[18] He captained the team in his last match, the 2015 Copa del Rey final which was lost 3–1 to Barcelona.[19]
On 16 June 2015, aged 33, Iraola moved abroad for the first time in his career, signing for Major League Soccer club New York City FC.[20][21] He made his debut against Toronto FC at the Yankee Stadium on 12 July, playing the entirety of a 4–4 draw.[22]
Iraola announced his retirement on 17 November 2016.[23][24]
On 20 August 2008, Iraola was called by new Spain coach Vicente del Bosque for a friendly with Denmark, alongside teammate Fernando Amorebieta.[25] He entered the pitch in the final 15 minutes of the 3–0 away victory, coming in as a substitute for Sergio Ramos.[26]
On 29 March 2011, after nearly one and a half years without playing for the national team, Iraola started in a 3–1 defeat of Lithuania in Kaunas for the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers.[27] He was due to make the cut for the final squad, but injury forced him out in favour of Atlético Madrid's Juanfran.[28]
Iraola played on the Basque representative side for a full decade, having debuted late on in a 2–1 win over Uruguay on 27 December 2003.[29][30]
Iraola was appointed manager of Cypriot club AEK Larnaca FC on 18 June 2018, succeeding his compatriot Imanol Idiakez.[31] He was sacked the following 14 January,[32] after nearly two months without winning a single match.[33]
On 10 July 2019, Iraola replaced the departed Borja Jiménez at the helm of CD Mirandés, newly promoted to Segunda División.[34] He took the team to the semi-finals of the Spanish Cup for the second time in their 92-year history, notably disposing of top-tier sides RC Celta de Vigo, Sevilla FC and Villarreal.[35] On 21 July 2020, he left the club as his contract expired.[36]
Iraola remained in the second division in August 2020, taking over from Paco Jémez at Rayo Vallecano.[37] On 6 July 2021, after achieving promotion in the playoffs, he extended his contract until 2022.[38] The following season, he again led a club to the last four of the national cup; it was the second time Rayo had achieved this, the first occasion coming 40 years earlier.[39]
In February 2023, Iraola was approached by Leeds United of the Premier League, but was not given permission to leave the Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas.[40] He left at the end of the season, having turned down a renewal offer.[41]
On 19 June 2023, Iraola was appointed manager of AFC Bournemouth on a two-year deal.[42] His debut on 12 August was a 1–1 home draw with West Ham United, with a late equaliser by Dominic Solanke.[43] He achieved his first win in the tenth round, beating fellow strugglers Burnley 2–1 with goals from Antoine Semenyo and Philip Billing.[44]
Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other[a] | 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 | 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 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Spain | 2008 | 2 | 0 |
2009 | 2 | 0 | |
2011 | 3 | 0 | |
Total | 7 | 0 |
Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
AEK Larnaca | ![]() |
23 May 2018 | 14 January 2019 | 29 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 44 | 28 | +16 | 41.38 | [49] |
Mirandés | ![]() |
10 July 2019 | 21 July 2020 | 49 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 73 | 72 | +1 | 36.73 | [50] |
Rayo Vallecano | ![]() |
6 August 2020 | 30 June 2023 | 136 | 54 | 32 | 50 | 166 | 160 | +6 | 39.71 | [51] |
AFC Bournemouth | ![]() |
1 July 2023 | present | 27 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 44 | 47 | −3 | 40.74 | |
Total | 241 | 95 | 64 | 82 | 327 | 307 | +20 | 39.42 | — |
Athletic Bilbao
AEK Larnaca