'Bournemouth moved heaven and earth to convince Iraola'

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Bournemouth moved heaven and earth to convince Andoni Iraola to stay on as manager but were ultimately unable to reach an agreement.

For 15 months, senior figures at the club held both formal and informal discussions with Iraola about what it would take for him to remain in the role.

It was not about money, nor was there any frustration with the club's sporting direction on the south coast.

The feeling was that Iraola wanted to delay his decision for as long as possible, as he had done at previous clubs. He was also known to be placing significant weight on his family's wishes, with growing links to the vacant post at Athletic Club in his native Basque Country.

Iraola, for those unfamiliar with his playing career, is regarded as one of the top 10 greatest players in Athletic Club's history. The Bilbao-based club are well financed, despite operating a long-standing policy of only selecting local players.

It is a blow for the Cherries, but there are no hard feelings towards Iraola, given the close personal relationships that exist at all levels of the club.

Furthermore, Bournemouth have had ample time to plan for his succession knowing his contract was running out and this was the possible outcome of the painstaking time taken to make his final call.

• Let us know how you're feeling about Iraola's exit

[BBC]