Bombshell managerial departure confirmed ahead of Newcastle United v AFC Bournemouth
Big managerial news has emerged ahead of Newcastle United v AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
AFC Bournemouth have released a bombshell statement ahead of their Premier League clash against Newcastle United this weekend.
The Cherries have announced that manager Andoni Iraola will leave at the end of 2025-26 campaign after failing to agree a new contract.
Iraola is keen to explore a new challenge elsewhere, having already been linked with a host of jobs following a successful three years on the South Coast.
Andoni Iraola will leave AFC Bournemouth this summer
The Spaniard guided Bournemouth to a ninth-placed in the Premier League last season on a club-record 56 points. And despite losing the likes of Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, Illia Zabarnyi, Dango Ouattara and Antoine Semenyo since, he could better last season’s finish.
Bournemouth currently sit 11th, just two points below a Conference League spot with six matches to go. Securing a top seven would see them qualify for Europe for the first time in their history.
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“It has been an honour to manage AFC Bournemouth and I am proud of what we have achieved together,” Iraola said in a statement. “I’m thankful to the players and staff that I’ve worked with, as well as Bill, who have all made my time here so special.
“As for the fans, you have continued to show your fantastic support to myself and the team, and for that I will always be grateful. I feel this is the right moment for me to step away, but I will always carry fantastic memories of this club.”
Eddie Howe under pressure at Newcastle United
La Liga side Athletic Club are interested in bringing Iraola back to the Basque Country with Ernesto Valverde also set to depart at the end of the season. Iraola previously spent 12 years in Bilbao as a player, making more than 500 appearances.
Following the news of his Bournemouth exit, Iraola has quickly emerged as some bookies’ favourite to manage Newcastle next amid speculation surrounding Eddie Howe's future.
Howe is under pressure externally but retains the support of the club’s hierarchy. Both parties won’t address the future until the summer.
Asked about his future last week, Howe said: “For me, nothing's changed. I'm absolutely 100% committed to the job. That commitment has never wavered from my side. I've been working during the break to make sure that we come back a stronger team.
“I think in this day and age, I think it's very difficult to look too far in the long term. I can only look to these seven games and make sure that we perform at our very best level, and make sure the players are ready for these games, and we go right to the end of the season.
“It's been an incredible season in the sense that we worked out that we hadn't trained with 20 players since August. I've never said that before during a season, so the first time we've gone back to big numbers in training, it's been a real refreshing couple of sessions for us. And it's been really enjoyable.
“I think let's try and finish the season well, that's what everyone wants to do.”
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