- AFC Bournemouth reach new manager agreement ahead of Newcastle United clash
- Andoni Iraola to leave Vitality Stadium at end of season
- Marco Rose to take over upcoming Magpies opponents
AFC Bournemouth will arrive at Newcastle United this weekend with plenty of focus on off the pitch affairs for the Cherries with a new manager agreement confirmed on Friday.
Current head coach Andoni Iraola announced this week that he would be leaving the Vitality Stadium following the expiry of his contract at the end of the season. Clearly, the south coast club already knew who would be his successor.
Eddie Howe will hope that all the goings-on away from the football pitch may prove a distraction for Bournemouth. The Magpies are in desperate need of a result after back-to-back defeats against Sunderland and Crystal Palace.
Bournemouth have reached an agreement that will see Marco Rose will take over from Iraola this summer. The former RB Leipzig boss was known to be the frontrunner to replace Iraola and that has now been confirmed in rapid time.
AFC Bournemouth reach agreement with Marco Rose
The 49-year-old is known to have a similar football philosophy and style of play to the current Cherries boss. There is not expected to be a formal announcement soon but the deal is well underway with Bournemouth working on Rose’s work visa.
Iraola will be courted by several top Premier League and European sides this summer after an impressive three years with Bournemouth. The manager spoke about his next destination in a press conference ahead of taking on Newcastle.
He said: “The decision was not about any other club, there was no other club involved, it was about either continuing here or not continuing here. I don’t know what I want to do next season.
“I don’t know if I am going to coach a team, a club. I don’t know if I am going to coach an international team. I don’t know if I am going to coach in this continent. I have no idea what is going to happen. I don’t know if you are going to believe me but it is the truth. And also 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.”
Eddie Howe asked about Newcastle United future
At the same time, Newcastle manager Howe was asked whether there was a situation where he would walk away from the club.
On Friday morning, Howe said: “I just want to serve the club and do what’s right for the football club. That’s always been my aim.
“If that’s me leaving to help the club, then of course that’s something I’ll do, I’ve got no issue doing that.
“It’s not about me. But if I believe I’m the right person to take the club forward, which I do currently right now, then I’ll do that and I’ll fight to the end.
“I’ll fight harder than I’ve ever fought before, but it’s about making sure that those two things are aligned.”
In other news, ‘Advanced Talks’: Newcastle United and Liverpool dealt Tottenham transfer blow.
