Bournemouth want 'something special' for departing Iraola - Tavernier
admin_news
Any suggestion of distraction following Andoni Iraola's decision to leave Bournemouth was firmly dismissed by his players in their statement victory against Newcastle.
It was confirmed this week that the Spaniard will leave the club when his contract expires this summer, ending a three‑year spell in charge.
"If anything, it has made us want us to run harder for him and finish the season off with something special," Cherries winger Marcus Tavernier told BBC Match of the Day.
"He has done a lot for this club and players, so it is only right we show him this reaction to finish off with something we can remember for a long time."
Iraola added: "You are always worried because when you give this kind of news, you don't know how everyone is going to react. I trust my players a lot and I know they want to push until the end."
Iraola arrived on the south coast on a two-year deal in June 2023, inheriting a side which finished 15th under Gary O'Neil.
In his first season, he guided them to 12th, achieving a then-club high 48 points, and was rewarded with a contract extension until the end of 2025-26.
The following season, the Cherries finished ninth with a record 56 points and reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
This campaign, Iraola has placed Bournemouth - who have never played continental football - right in the midst of a fierce battle for a place in Europe with a record 13 games unbeaten in the league (W6 D7).
With back-to-back wins against leaders Arsenal and Newcastle, the Cherries are level on 48 points with both Chelsea and Brentford, who sit sixth and seventh in European places.
Their run is all the more impressive considering the departures of key players Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, Illia Zabarnyi and Antoine Semenyo this season.
"I have no clue," Iraola told BBC Radio Solent when asked about his future. "I don't know if I'm going to coach next season. I have no rush to know it. The decision has not been affected by any other club."
But one thing is certain - the 43-year-old is unlikely to be out of work for long.
