Andoni Iraola exclusive interview: Bournemouth boss using lessons of Athletic Club and planning future

Andoni Iraola tells Sky Sports about using lessons from Athletic Club at Bournemouth, the risk of losing players, and planning for the future despite interest from Spurs and Real Madrid; watch Arsenal vs B’mouth live on Sky Sports on Saturday; kick-off 5.30pm

This week’s Europa League tie between Manchester United and Athletic Club was an opportunity for Andoni Iraola to cast his mind back to their last meeting, when he captained his former side to a famous quarter-final victory under Marcelo Bielsa in 2012.

“We were very, very good,” he tells Sky Sports with a smile. Typically, he is understating it. “It was a United team that came from winning the Premier League and losing the Champions League final against Barca,” he adds. “They were at their top level with top players…”

And yet they were dismantled over the course of two legs as Athletic Club, with their policy of only using Basque players, showed their remarkable capacity to punch above their weight. Thirteen years on, it is a quality which has come to define Iraola’s current side too.

Iraola, the head coach, guided Bournemouth to a club-record points total in his first season in charge and has already beaten it with four games of his second left to play. Achieving European qualification for the first time in the club’s history remains a possibility.

For now, though, he will see how his old side fare over the two legs of their latest assignment on that stage. Iraola spent most of his playing career at Athletic Club. He still describes himself as a supporter. “I have great, great memories of the Manchester United tie and I hope this tie goes the same way for them,” he says (ahead of Thursday’s game).

His time at Athletic Club provides valuable learnings as well as cherished memories. “My understanding of football comes from there,” he says. “The way they used to play, even with different managers, was quite clear and it is how I am most comfortable.

“Obviously, you have to adapt from team to team. What we are doing in Bournemouth is not the same as what we were doing in Spain. But the main idea comes from there.”

Athletic Club, like Iraola’s Bournemouth, are typified by a direct approach and an emphasis on physicality. “They always say Athletic Club is the most English of the LaLiga teams,” he says. “I think there is a connection there that fits very well with Bournemouth.”

That connection continues to bear fruit.

Bournemouth conceded a painful late equaliser to Manchester United after Evanilson’s wrongly awarded red card on Sunday, but they face Arsenal, Aston Villa and Manchester City next having taken points off all three this season, thanks in large part to the fearless, attack-minded approach implemented by their head coach.

“The fixture schedule is not so important for us. Our approach against all the teams is very similar,” he says.

“It’s true that we would probably like to have easier games because we are playing away to Arsenal and Manchester City in games where we need to take the points. But I think we can still be competitive. We can make them play in a way that is not as easy for them. But we need to give our best and be at our best level.”

The challenge of finding ways to bridge the gap to the elite is familiar to Iraola, thanks again to the time spent at his boyhood club. “Most of the players come from the academy at Athletic Club,” he explains.

“You have to grow quickly and learn to face the big clubs, even without the experience. With everyone’s help, you have to make it work, even against the top teams.

“I try to take those learnings to my teams. Respect the top teams, because they are better than you, but don’t respect them too much.

“Okay, you can have respect, but no fear. It’s like, ‘We know you are better, but let’s try to make it level, let’s try to give our best and see if we can make up the difference’.”

Iraola ‘happy’ at evolving Bournemouth

Iraola is speaking on a terrace at Bournemouth’s new training centre. It is a stunning facility and its opening was followed by news that the club have also bought back the Vitality Stadium, with plans to expand it. These are exciting times, on and off the pitch.