McKenna on shortlist but Rose frontrunner to replace Iraola at Bournemouth

Q: What other candidates are on Bournemouth's shortlist for manager?

Kieran McKenna from Ipswich is also on Bournemouth's shortlist of potential successors to Andoni Iraola.

Q: Why is Bournemouth looking for a new manager?

Bournemouth is seeking a new manager following the confirmation that Andoni Iraola will leave at the end of his contract.

Q: When did Marco Rose last manage a team?

Marco Rose was last the manager of RB Leipzig, from which he was sacked in March 2025.

Marco Rose is believed to be the frontrunner for the Bournemouth job.

Sky Sports News understands the club have a shortlist of three potential successors to Andoni Iraola that also includes Ipswich's Kieran McKenna.

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Bournemouth are believed to want to install Iraola's successor quickly after it was confirmed on Monday he would leave at the end of his contract.

The key name to watch is Rose, who is available since being sacked by RB Leipzig in March 2025.

McKenna, meanwhile, is still pushing for promotion back to the Premier League with Ipswich.

Another name Bournemouth admire is Iraola's former assistant Inigo Perez, but he is not thought to be on that three-man shortlist at this time.

More to follow.

Also See:

How do you replace the irreplaceable?

Image: Iraola will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season

Analysis from Sky Sports News reporter Mark McAdam:

How do you replace the almost irreplaceable? Well that's what Bournemouth have to do.

Back in July 2023 when they appointed a relatively unknown coach in Iraola, their first-ever foreign manager, no one expected it to go quite this well.

A solid first season followed by two campaigns that have seen them in the race for Europe is incredible for a club like Bournemouth. He could still lead them into European competition for the first time - and then walk away.

But whilst he's taken his time to decide on his future, the club have been working in the background to find their next head coach and the key name to watch is Rose.

The 49-year-old is available having been sacked in March 2025 by RB Leipzig for underperforming in the league and Champions League. But he has won silverware, and does have Champions League experience.

The pursuit of trophies and Europe is the next step for Bournemouth. The question on the south coast is; can they add a major trophy to the cabinet for the first time in the club's history?

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Bournemouth: Andoni Iraola to leave Bournemouth at the end of the season

Mark McAdam reports that Andoni Iraola is to leave Bournemouth at the end of the season after three years in charge.

Rose also fits the bill with regard to his footballing philosophy, he has described the basic ideas of his playing style as "emotion, hunger and being active".

"We want to be very active against the ball, sprint a lot, he has said. "We want to win high balls and have short ways to the goal. We don't want to play high and wide, but fast, dynamic and actively forward."

That is a very similar style to Iraola.

The other name that appears on Bournemouth's list is the highly respected Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna - but the fact that he is in the middle of a promotion push, and a season that could be extended by three weeks by the playoffs, would put barriers in the way of a quick appointment.

One other name to keep an eye on is Iñigo Pérez - Andoni's former assistant and current boss of Rayo Vallecano. He did come over to Bournemouth with Iraola but didn't stay because of work visa issues.

He is highly respected by the club - but not necessarily on their short list this time.

In an ideal world Bournemouth would like to have this wrapped up in the next week or two - so the planning for next season can start immediately. They may even have Europe to plan for too.