Following the sacking of Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa was appointed as the interim manager for the rest of the season. The Spaniard has had an up and down time in charge and as a result the club are drawing up a list of full-time managers they plan to persue in the summer. The list is filled with some of the biggest names in football, however, a new name has just become available in the summer and it is a familiar name to Real Madrid, and one they should consider adding to their list.
As announced by AFC Bournemouth, head coach Andoni Iraola will be leaving the club at the end of the season once his contract expires. The Spaniard has done incredible work during his time with the Premier League side and is now expected to take the next step in his career to a big club, and given the current situation, Real Madrid could be one of those clubs that considers hiring him this summer.
Real Madrid now have a new name to chase this summer
The 43-year-old has been in charge at the Premier League club since 2023 and has done an incredible job getting results out of a team that is usually a bottom contender in the Premier League. In his first season he guided Bournemouth to a 12th place finish, followed by an impressive 9th place finish last season, finishing ahead of teams like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. His side currently sits 11th in the table, just one point behind tenth place Sunderland.
In Bournemouth's last game he guided his men to a 2-1 victory over league leaders Arsenal, a result that could prove to be crucial by the time the season is all said and done. Iraola likes to lineup his teams in either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, that favors quick wingers, midfielders that run like there's no tomorrow, and a defensive midfielder, capable of dictating the game from a deep lying role.
Iraola isn't an unfamiliar name to Real Madrid. The Spaniard was the manager of Rayo Vallecano from 2020-2023, grabbing a famous 3-2 victory over Los Blancos in November of 2022. He also claimed three victories over Barcelona during his time in charge, a 1-0 victory in October of 2021, a 1-0 victory in April of 2022, and a 2-1 victory in April of 2023. The Spaniard has shown he has what it takes to be a top manager in La Liga, and would no doubt take a step to the next level with a top level squad at his disposal.
However should Real Madrid want to hire Iraola they would have to act quickly. It's been reported that Athletic Club are strongly interest in bringing in Iraola as their next manager, the club where he played over 500 games as player from 2003-2015. Jurgen Klopp is still the number one name on Real Madrid's radar this summer, but should the German decide not to return to management, Iraola is a strong option the club should consider falling back on as they hope to get back to their best form next season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google