Iraola: Beach memories and a love of reading fuel rise from Basque country to Bournemouth

Andoni Iraola, the Bournemouth manager since June 2023, has surged into one of world football’s hottest properties. In a wide-ranging conversation for BBC Sport’s The Football Interview with host Kelly Somers, Iraola discusses his Basque roots, the people who shaped his career, and the reading habit he uses to sharpen his mind as he guides a club that overperformed in the 2024-25 Premier League season and drew transfer interest from Europe’s biggest clubs.

Iraola’s football education began on the sand and surf of San Sebastian. He recalls days playing on the beach with the school team, where tides could wash away a game for weeks at a time. “We used to play there with the school team. You can play every two weeks [because of the tide]. One weekend you cannot play because there is no beach. And the next one there is the beach, and you can,” he says, describing a memory that would shape his sense of longevity and resilience. He started with the school team, then a neighbourhood club, before moving to Athletic Club at 16. The late arrival of football as a calling is central to his story: he wasn’t sure this could become more than a hobby until he moved closer to Bilbao and faced the reality of living alone in an academy.

The path that followed intertwined with several generations of talent from the Basque region. Iraola notes how a shared moment on the sand connected him with future luminaries: Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso, both of whom would become high-profile managers in world football. “We are more or less the same age, playing sometimes against each other… Then after we played together in a small club, also in Antiguoko, and now it’s amazing that we see each other on the football pitches almost 40 years later.”

Interacting with mentors and peers shaped his view of leadership. Ernesto Valverde stands out as the most influential figure in his development, the manager who gave him his debut at Athletic Club and would later reappear in his career as a steady guide. Iraola notes Valverde’s enduring impact and says he remains grateful for the opportunities and advice he received over 13 years at Athletic Club. In addition to Valverde, Iraola highlights Marcelo Bielsa’s distinct approach to watching the game and notes that he has followed Carlo Ancelotti with admiration for years, pointing to a model of leadership that blends intensity with ordinary humanity.

In discussing how different leagues and cultures shaped his managerial philosophy, Iraola recalls a meaningful period in the United States. He spent a year and a half in America at the end of his playing career, a time he describes as formative for his transition into management. There he worked under Patrick Vieira, whose Manchester City academy background introduced a more positional style of play. Iraola says the American sojourn helped him understand how to adapt his own ideas and how to manage players with diverse backgrounds.

The interview also unpacks Iraola’s sense of rhythm off the pitch. He credits his love of reading with keeping the mind sharp amid the pressures of top-flight management. “Reading is a big help. You forget a little bit about everything else happening around you,” he says, adding that he uses both literature and cycling as mental reset tools. While he lives in Bournemouth, a place he describes as ideally suited for “nature and walks,” Iraola emphasizes that his family remains central to his balance. He says he could not do this job without them and that the day he has to leave them behind would mark a new turn in his life.

The interview traces Iraola’s personal philosophy of leadership. He is proud of the relationships he has built with clubs across his career, both as a player and a coach. The goal is not only to win but to leave behind a record of good people and enduring connections. He sees his role as a manager who is approachable, authentic, and committed to developing players and staff. His willingness to keep daily life grounded—whether it is a spontaneous holiday with no fixed hotel plan or a preference for “a very, very normal” routine—comes through as a deliberate counterpoint to the high-wire nature of professional football.

As the conversation unfolds, Iraola reflects on what he would still like to achieve. When pressed about the one thing he would pursue if given one more chance, he pivots from the trophy chase to a family-centric wish: he would like his children to have a good life. He frames his career as a means to secure their future while continuing to evolve as a person. Importantly, he stresses the importance of being remembered as a good manager and, above all, a good person. “You are not going to be successful every time. Even in places that it’s not going to work, I hope I leave with good relationships,” he says.

The interview is scheduled as part of The Football Interview, a BBC series that features bold, in-depth conversations with leading figures in sport and entertainment about the mindset, motivation, and defining moments behind the public personas. The episode with Iraola will be broadcast on BBC One from 23:55 BST on Saturday, 27 September, with availability across iPlayer, Sounds, and the BBC Sport website.

The layering of personal memory, tactical philosophy, and long-term aspiration makes Iraola’s story stand out. From beach football on the Basque coast to the Premier League’s high-stakes demands, his journey underscores the human elements that accompany a rising manager at a club that has defied expectations. If his track record suggests anything, it is that Iraola’s blend of humility, intellectual curiosity, and a grounded personal life may be the foundation for continued growth—both for him and for Bournemouth as they chase further improvement in English football’s top tier.