Although Andoni Iraola He has a contract with Bournemouth until 2026Ernesto Valverde ends his contract with him Athletic at the end of the season, so if he does not renew, he will sound like his possible replacement. Andoni Iraola was already linked to the Basque team when he coached the Mirandes and, above all, when he directed Rayo Vallecano. This is why any statement about Athletic is interpreted as a nod to his former team.
In an interview for ReliefAndoni Iraola has pointed out: «I brag a lot about Athletic here because not everyone knows our history and our philosophy. I tell the players that I come from this team, which is the best team in the world.. I was able to celebrate it with my daughter, who saw it live, it made me terribly excited. When you are away you feel more proud of everything that happens there, also with this group of players and this coach. Ernesto has always been a reference. “I enjoyed it a lot.”
Iraola is bothered by being asked if he will coach Athletic
In another interview, which he gave a year ago, Andoni Iraola showed his discomfort when he was asked if he would coach Athletic in the future. “They always ask me this question and, damn, in the end everyone goes their own way, right? Right now in Athletic there is Ernesto, who is doing great and for me as a fan, I hope he stays for a lot of years because for me it is a guarantee of results.. And well, listen, if tomorrow happens in the future, then it will happen, but it doesn’t have to. In the end we are always related to the team that you have played and it has its logic, but hey, they can have super successful years. I could do great in my career as a coach and the timing doesn’t match and nothing would happen either, right?”, he stated.
