Bournemouth's ownership group have raised eyebrows after their stunning decision to sack head coach Gary O'Neil and appoint Andoni Iraola.
O'Neil, 40, impressed in his first senior job in football after taking over from Scott Parker in August following a 9-0 drubbing against Liverpool away at Anfield. He would subsequently be given the job on a full-time basis in November and picked up 36 points during his stint in charge at the Vitality Stadium to secure the club's Premier League status for another season.
Despite the Cherries' precarious start to the 2022/23 campaign, which culminated with Parker's summation that the team was "ill-equipped" to cope with the demands of the top flight, they were able to rally to finish in 15th place. As a result, many observers had expressed the view that O'Neil was a candidate to be named Manager of the Year.
However, the former West Ham player's efforts at the helm were not enough to convince new owners Bill Foley and his partners at Black Knight FC that he should keep his job. The American consortium assumed the reigns at the South Coast club in December of last year and have now installed their own man, as opposed to sticking with the head coach they inherited from the previous owners.
Rayo Vallecano boss Andoni Iraola led the Madrid side to an 11th place finish in La Liga. in his third season at the club following the club's promotion to the Spanish top tier back in 2021. The Spaniard, who was previously linked with Leeds United, was out of contract this summer.
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American tycoon Bill Foley is the main man at the head of the ownership group (Getty Images)Despite O'Neil having signed an 18-month deal a month prior to their arrival at the club, they have decided to install. Clearly, the new owners at Bournemouth want to put their own stamp on the club in the coming months, starting with the new head coach and then extending to the playing staff, with new signings planned.
The owners bought the club for an estimated £100 million ($128 million), becoming the latest Americans to buy a Premier League club, with giants Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal among the clubs also owned by US investors. Chairman Foley made his money in insurance and went on to buy National Hockey League outfit Vegas Golden Knights.
Hollywood star Michael B. Jordan is part of the Bournemouth ownership group (PA)The Las Vegas-based billionaire heads up a consortium which includes the Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan as well as Nullah Sarker, who have joined Foley as a business partner for this project. In the case of the latter, Bournemouth is his first ever venture into the professional sports ownership for the "Creed" star.
Going into more detail about the reasoning behind O'Neil's dismissal from his post, the Bournemouth owner Foley explained: "We have identified a number of significant targets in the transfer market" and "this change in direction will provide us with the best platform from which to build."
"Gary will go on to have a long career as a head coach or manager, but we feel that, at this moment in time, a change is in the best interests of this football club. I would like to place on record my thanks to Gary and wish him all the best for the future."
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