Bournemouth

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

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.

Read more on Iraola's future

Pundits Ashley Williams and Joe Hart join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Leeds 3-0 Wolves

• Newcastle 1-2 Bournemouth

• Tottenham 2-2 Brighton

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, speaking to Sky Sports: "Very pleased, I think we played really well. We enjoyed playing it. At 1-1, the game changes which was expected, but we showed composure to keep playing and 2-1 is a lovely goal, and we deserved it.

"This is a very difficult place to come as an away team. They are so fast in the last line that you can lose those races, but overall we have defended really well.

On how far Bournemouth can go this season: "We are in a good place and arriving at an important part of the season. We are trying to keep this unbeaten run [going] as long as we can because the players have shown me they will take no days off. We tried to continue playing, keep the ball and I think that's the way the second goal has arrived."

Bournemouth winger Marcus Tavernier, speaking to Premier League Productions: "We're in great form, 13 unbeaten now. That's not lucky from us, we've worked hard and earned it on the training pitch."

On his goal: "The manager is always getting on to me about arriving at the back post."

On Adrien Truffert's goal: "Nothing better when the ball goes in the back of the net, he deserves it and I think that was his first goal."

On Bournemouth's good form: "We're performing consecutively for games and keeping our performances high and that's why we are doing well."

On boss Andoni Iraola announcing that he will leave: "Football changes thick and fast and it has made us want to compete more for the rest of the season. We want to achieve getting into Europe, it's tight in and around us at the moment."

Did you know?

• Bournemouth are unbeaten across their last 13 matches in the Premier League (W6 D7); both the longest current run without defeat in the top-flight and the Cherries' longest ever unbeaten run in the competition.

• Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier has scored six goals in the Premier League this term, his most across a single campaign in the competition. Indeed, it's as many strikes as he managed in the previous two seasons combined.

Ciaran Kelly
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Andoni Iraola and his staff joked with Adrien Truffert that his first goal was coming after some impressive finishes in training on the eve of this game.

So it proved.

Judging by Truffert's wild celebrations, it was worth the wait as Bournemouth showed their mettle once more.

Some teams have folded after conceding an equaliser against Newcastle at St James' Park, but this Bournemouth side are resilient.

They were fresh from winning at Arsenal last week and this was another impressive victory.

Rather than retreating at 1-1, Bournemouth still sensed Newcastle had vulnerabilities and pushed for a winner.

Such a response was all the more impressive only days after Iraola confirmed he would be leaving at the end of his contract.

But his commitment and his players' commitment were never in doubt as they look to mount a late push for a European spot.

No wonder Iraola was serenaded by those Bournemouth supporters up in the gods at full-time.

This was worth the long trip.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Newcastle's performance

What did you make of Bournemouth's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Anthony Gordon misses out as Newcastle United make three changes for the visit of Bournemouth.

The forward is sidelined with a minor hip flexor issue while Joelinton is suspended.

Jacob Ramsey, Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes all come back into the side following last week's 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace.

Newcastle XI: Ramsdale, Livramento, Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Miley, Tonali, Ramsey, Elanga, Osula, Barnes

Subs: Pope, Trippier, Wissa, J.Murphy, Woltemade, Willock, Burn, A.Murphy, Guimaraes

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola names an unchanged side for the trip to St James' Park.

The Spaniard has understandably stuck with the team who recorded an impressive 2-1 win against Premier League leaders Arsenal at the Emirates last time out.

Today marks Iraola's first game since he announced he will be leaving the club at the end of the season.

Bournemouth XI: Petrovic, Jimenez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert, Scott, Christie, Rayan, Kroupi, Tavernier, Evanilson

Subs: Mandas, Brooks, Adams, Adli, Smith, Unal, Gannon-Doak, Diakite, Toth

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on whether German boss Marco Rose would be a good fit for the Cherries.

Here are some of your comments:

Stewart: His style of play will fit the brief. My main concern is he has never managed outside of Germany and the Premier League is a very different beast to the Bundesliga. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Peter: Time will tell if Rose can fit into the shoes of the best manager we have ever had. Andoni Iraola is not easy to replace. He has been exceptional. The fans are very sad. But we are also thrilled that we have had three amazing years with a brilliant coach. I hope he enjoys his time with his family, which I think is what he wants to prioritise. We hope he returns many times to see the team play in the future.

Drew: Marco Rose is not well known by the average punter, but when you realise he was managing RB Salzburg in the Europa League when they played attractive, hyper-modern football, you can see why Bournemouth are thinking of hiring him.

Bazza: I think if we keep the backroom staff we will be fine. I've never heard of Rose before, but he's probably alright knowing how good our recruiting team.

Steve: I feel positive about this move. It seems the right fit tactically and Rose's record in Germany looks good. Even more important for me, strangely, is the process. It seems orderly and thought through, which is a change for Bournemouth, which has had a habit of reaching for the nearest available managerial option since Eddie Howe left. It's the sign of a steadier, more organised ship under our American owner, Bill Foley. That means that even if Rose doesn't work out, alternatives will have been identified. The Cherries recruitment team has done well with player signings, a new manager is their next big test.

Jack: Hopefully he does the Cherries well, but I'm not sure if he is the right choice for us.

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Brentford v Fulham (12:30)

• Leeds v Wolves (15:00) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Newcastle v Bournemouth (15:00)

• Tottenham v Brighton (17:30) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Chelsea v Man Utd (20:00)

Kick-off 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Leeds v Wolves" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Brighton", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Constantin Eckner
German Football Writer

Image source, Getty Images

Marco Rose comes from the Red Bull school of football.

He started as a coach at his local club, Loch Leipzig. He went through the academy at RB Salzburg and was very successful, winning the youth league with them and later becoming the senior team manager. Then he moved to the Bundesliga and coached Borussia Dortmund for a year and RB Leipzig most recently.

He wants a new challenge because he's done so much in the Bundesliga. Going to the Premier League and doing something like Oliver Glasner in recent years and proving himself, he can further develop as a personality and a coach.

• Rose close to Bournemouth job

If you look up some of the basic stats of this season, Bournemouth have the most interceptions in the Premier League. They have a lot of fouls but that comes with the high press.

Red Bull wanted to introduce that style, and he helped develop that as an academy coach. Although he hasn't been that successful in his latter stages at RB Leipzig, joining a new league and culture might not be a bad thing for him.

• Is Rose a good appointment? Tell us

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe welcomes his old side Bournemouth on Saturday (15:00 BST), with the two clubs in contrasting form.

Magpies struggle to hold on to a lead

Newcastle have lost seven of their last 10 Premier League matches and any hope that a three-week break might lift them out of their recent slump was quashed by their defeat at Crystal Palace last weekend.

It was their third loss in a row in all competitions – a flat performance and another game in which they threw away a lead.

Newcastle have dropped 25 points from winning positions in this Premier League campaign – five more than any other side. It's a statistic that Howe says "has blighted our season".

They have conceded 30 goals after scoring first in Premier League games in 2025-26, a division-high, and have had just three clean sheets in their 16 Premier League matches at St James' Park this season.

That statistic might not improve this weekend as Newcastle have conceded in all seven of their top-flight home games against Bournemouth, which is the most times they've faced a side without a clean sheet at St James' Park in the Premier League.

Cherries aim to see off Iraola in style

It may be a long way from the south coast to Tyneside but it's a journey Bournemouth seem to enjoy.

They have lost on just two of their eight Premier League visits to St James' Park and have averaged three goals a game in their past three matches in all competitions there.

One of those was their FA Cup penalty shootout defeat on 10 January. That was a tough pill to swallow, but since then, the Cherries haven't lost – in fact they are unbeaten in their past 12 Premier League matches, their longest undefeated run in the competition.

Bournemouth conceded three goals at Newcastle in January but their defence, which was decimated in last summer's transfer window, has been pretty tight so far in 2026, conceding just three goals in their last six away games.

It has all helped to contribute to their long unbeaten streak - coincidentally, the last side other than Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City to have a longer such run without losing were Newcastle, who went 17 unbeaten in 2022-23.

The Cherries are currently 11th, but with things tightly packed in the Premier League mid-table, they have every chance of exceeding their previous best finish of ninth. That would be a fitting tribute to head coach Andoni Iraola, who announced this week that he will leave the club in the summer.

Newcastle are in a slump and their manager Eddie Howe looks tired.

He could definitely do with a win, which is why losing late on against Sunderland and then Crystal Palace has been so damaging. They have now dropped 25 points from winning positions this season, five more than any other Premier League club.

This is the ninth time Howe has faced Bournemouth as Newcastle boss in the Premier League, but he is yet to beat his old club. Saturday would be a very good time for him to change that.

Bournemouth already know they will have a new manager next season, with Andoni Iraola set to leave at the end of this campaign. That news is a hammer blow for them.

The Cherries have been playing well and got a great win against Arsenal last weekend, but I am still going with Newcastle to beat them despite their recent poor results.

That's right, I am backing Eddie - the law of averages means he has to get a result against Bournemouth some day.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

Marco Rose looks set to succeed Andoni Iraola as head coach at Bournemouth.

He won the German Cup [DFB Pokal] with RB Leipzig in 2023 and the Austrian Cup and the Austrian Bundesliga with Red Bull Salzburg in 2018 and 2019.

Between those jobs he was in charge at Borussia Monchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund.

Those four teams averaged either close to or more than two goals per game under Rose.

So are you happy if he takes the job at Vitality Stadium and how do you think it will go?

Send us your thoughts

Image source, Getty Images

Andoni Iraola says Bournemouth "tried to do everything" to keep him and insists he has "no clue" where or if he will be coaching next season.

The 43-year-old Spaniard announced he will leave the Cherries at the end of the season this week and his name is linked with a host of clubs, including Athletic Bilbao, where Ernesto Valverde will step down at the end of the campaign.

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent's Jordan Clark, Iraola explained he did not want to negotiate a new deal when offered: "The club, they tried to do everything. In December they had a formal offer. I tried to talk about my feelings. I know they have been working on the future. It is not something that has happened by surprise.

"The seasons I have been here I have been so satisfied, I don't want almost to risk it. I feel full of energy, it's not I am exhausted, I am more motivated to finish this season. But sometimes you have to choose well the moment to leave places."

• Listen to Iraola speak to BBC Radio Solent

Iraola said he was relieved people now knew of his exit, adding he was most "nervous" in telling his players, though he claims he did not get overly emotional with them.

"I am quite cold," he explained. "But it's true that with some members of the staff - you've been here three years - it has been very difficult as there is mutual appreciation. Some people will not understand the decision but we still have two months to be together, enjoy it and create memories."

The former Athletic Bilbao player's exit brings further uncertainty over whether his assistant Tommy Elphick and coach Shaun Cooper will follow him.

"They have been really good with me but are under contract with the club," he added. "They are the ones who have to decide their future. I have been very lucky to work with them and now it's their moment to decide."

And his own future is up in the air, with Iraola adding: "I have no clue. I don't know if I am going to coach next season. I have no rush to know it. We have taken the decision and the decision has not been affected by any other club."

• Listen to an interview with Ryan Christie

Huzaifah Khan
BBC Sport journalist

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Newcastle United at St James' Park (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Iraola confirmed Justin Kluivert and Lewis Cook are "still out" but the rest of the squad are available.

• When telling the squad he was leaving this summer, the Bournemouth boss said that was the most "difficult" part and he felt "emotional".

• On his decision to leave the club, the Iraola said it took a lot of time to come to this decision and he believes it's the "right time" for him and the club to part ways.

• He added: "At the end, this is football. I have had other decisions that were more important in terms of my life, but it is true that this is a decision that has cost me a lot and I have had moments thinking one thing and at other moments thinking the other thing. But there is a moment, you know?"

• On why he is leaving when the club are in a good position with young players who are fighting for Europe: "I think the club is in a great place. I have things in this club that I will not find anywhere else. I come every day to work here with a smile, and this is very valuable for me, but as managers, you learn."

• Asked whether he knows where he is moving to next, Iraola said his choice was not due to a decision being made on where he will manage next season and added that's the "truth", even if people don't believe him.

• He continued: "I don't have any rush to want to know it. I have taken a big decision for me, now I want to focus on what we have in this moment. These next six games are massive for us. There is going to be time to think [later] if we are going to have to think on something else."

• With his impressive record away at Newcastle, Iraola said they have been "exciting games", and the fact Eddie Howe's side are coming into this one off the back of back-to-back losses makes them "more dangerous".

Listen to full commentary of Newcastle v Bournemouth on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra at 15:00 BST on Saturday

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Bournemouth? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Image source, Getty Images

Former Bournemouth midfielder Joe Partington heaped praise on Eli Junior Kroupi after his goal against Arsenal on Saturday and described the 19-year-old as one of "the world's best teenage goalscorers".

Kroupi's opener in the 2-1 win made him the first teenager to score 10 goals in his maiden Premier League season since Robbie Keane for Coventry in 1999-2000.

Speaking on the Cherries Unpicked podcast, Partington said: "He knows where the goal is. He's got an eye for it. He sniffs out chances. He's in the right place at the right time and he has the technique and conviction to take those chances.

"He seems to prop up in these positions where he can score all types of goals. That one [against Arsenal] was a tap-in because of his movement, but you also give him a yard outside the box and he can nestle one in the top corner.

"Bournemouth are lucky to have him. The recruitment team have done a really good job of finding these young players that are ready for Premier League football. Not all 19-year-olds can come into the team and play and certainly contribute as he has done.

"[It's a] real huge benefit for the football club, I know that we've lost players over the last few years and may continue to do so in the future. That's just the nature of the beast, I suppose, but at the moment, in Junior Kroupi, we've got one of Europe's, which by extension is probably the world's, best teenage goalscorers."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Explore more Bournemouth content on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

As news of Andoni Iraola's exit sinks in, we asked who you would want to replace him.

Here are some of your replies:

Nic: Eddie Howe is exactly who we need - he has the personal connection with Bournemouth, as well as the ability to maintain what Iraola started. It's looking like his time at Newcastle may be coming to an end, so it would be a great move!

Clive: I think someone with high-press mentality is a must. The side have adapted to the style, so changing the way of playing would be disastrous. So accordingly Marco Rose, Inigo Perez or if I could dream Rui Borges. The second important thing is to retain Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper, we pride ourselves on being different and retaining the Bournemouth narrative is imperative."

Keith: I would love to see Craig Bellamy at Bournemouth. He has so much knowledge and is a highly skilled coach having worked with so many great managers.

Katie: Out of all the links so far Marco Rose looks the most interesting and of a similar play style for the team!

Dennis: Perez for continuity of style or Rose on experience.

Marty: I would love to get Perez. He learned under Iraola and plays the same type of game. Our players are suited to that style of play so it should be a relatively seamless transition.

We are nearly two days on from Andoni Iraola's summer exit being confirmed.

So it seems like a good time to ask who you'd like through the door next at Bournemouth. Why do you want them? And what does the change need to look like?

Get in touch with your views here

Image source, Getty Images

Former Bournemouth defender Steve Cook says he backs the club's hierarchy to make "the right decision" when selecting Andoni Iraola's successor.

After three historic seasons on the south coast, Iraola will depart at the end of the campaign and the Cherries will have to find a replacement for one of the most highly-rated coaches in Europe.

"Football clubs now prepare for this," Cook told a special BBC Radio Solent programme reaction to the news.

"They have a style of play and sign the players for that.

"Bournemouth will have a plan. Iraola's former assistant at Rayo Vallecano Inigo Perez would fit perfectly because there is a very similar philosophy at that club and they are similar in the way they play.

"You read things on social media with the likes of Frank Lampard and Kieran McKenna being linked but they are both in for promotions themselves right now.

"The hierarchy at the club will know. They will have planned for the worst and they still have a few weeks and months to finalise the plan.

"I back them to make the right decision. Bournemouth is a very attractive job, let's be honest. It's a Premier League club, consistently pushing in the right direction.

"Things are exciting with the training ground and the plans. I think it's an amazing job for anyone and I back the board to get the right man in."

Listen to the full programme below or on BBC Sounds