Andoni Iraola just did something nobody outside of Bournemouth thought was possible took a club with a 11,000 capacity stadium and got them into European football. And before he could even properly celebrate, AC Milan came knocking.
Because that’s football isn’t it. You do something remarkable and immediately someone bigger wants to take it away from you.
Why Milan Want Him
Allegri is gone after failing to get Milan into the Champions League and the Rossoneri need someone who can actually build something rather than just coast on reputation. Enter Iraola, a man who has spent three years quietly turning Bournemouth into one of the most tactically interesting sides in the Premier League.
The numbers don’t lie. An 18 game unbeaten run. Europa League qualification. A fanbase that went from fearing relegation to booking flights to continental away days. Whatever Iraola is doing on that training ground it clearly works.
The Meeting In London
According to reports, Milan have already met Iraola’s representatives and sat down with the man himself in London last week. First face to face meeting between both parties and by all accounts it went well enough to put Milan firmly in the driving seat.
Crystal Palace have also been pushing hard for weeks to land him, so this isn’t a straightforward swoop. There’s a genuine race developing here.
The Bournemouth Gut Punch
Here’s the cruel part. Iraola already confirmed he’s leaving when his contract expires next month so Bournemouth knew this was coming. But knowing something is coming and actually watching it happen are two very different things.
The man dragged their club to heights they’d never seen before, did it with style, earned a move to one of the biggest clubs in world football and won’t even be there for the Europa League campaign he built.
Whoever comes next at the Vitality Stadium has an almost impossible act to follow.
As for Iraola — the San Siro awaits. And something tells us he won’t look out of place there one bit!
