Bournemouth break club record as Andoni Iraola hails "perfect ending" after Premier League final day

Bournemouth brag Andoni Iraola admitted that European qualification represented the "perfect ending" to his three-year enactment connected the southbound coast.

Iraola announced past month that helium would permission his presumption arsenic Cherries' caput manager astatine the extremity of the 2026-27 season.

Since his announcement, Iraola has led Bournemouth into Europe for the archetypal clip successful the club's history, securing a Europa League spot with a 1-1 gully against Manchester City connected Tuesday.

Bournemouth entered the last time with a accidental to unafraid Champions League qualification, knowing they had to decorativeness successful sixth and anticipation Aston Villa dropped down to 5th successful the Premier League table. 

While they clinched sixth spot with a draw against Nottingham Forest, Villa's triumph implicit Man City, and Liverpool's gully against Brentford ended Bournemouth's Champions League dreams.

We're each going connected a European circuit ✈️ pic.twitter.com/KuvSOi8zQX

Iraola celebrates "perfect ending" to Bournemouth stint 

Still, the run volition spell down arsenic the astir palmy 1 successful Bournemouth's history, making it a fitting extremity to Iraola's palmy tenure.

"I americium feeling truthful blessed close now, so, truthful happy," Iraola told BBC Match of the Day.

"Now that everything is done is erstwhile you commencement to deliberation and I go a small spot much emotional. I enjoyed the past moments, the celebrations with the supporters.

"I americium rather hard, but I person been truly adjacent [to tears]. I cannot inquire for overmuch more.

"I person been truthful fortunate to beryllium successful this infinitesimal with this radical of players with this club. I deliberation it is the cleanable ending and I americium truthful thankful."

Iraola has been linked with Bournemouth's chap Premier League broadside Crystal Palace and Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen.

The 43-year-old is unsure astir his adjacent move, though helium is acceptable to marque a determination successful the adjacent future.

"I don't cognize wherever I americium going," Iraola aaded. "I deliberation it is simply a infinitesimal wherever we volition person to instrumentality our clip and marque decisions.

"Obviously, it's not going to beryllium agelong due to the fact that teams person to motion managers. Now is the infinitesimal wherever we volition instrumentality decisions"

An affectional time ❤️ pic.twitter.com/4D4iySmxaA

Bournemouth execute grounds Premier League points tally

Marcus Tavernier scored successful the 54th infinitesimal of Sunday's distant clash against Nottingham Forest, cancelling retired Morgan Gibbs-White's first-half opener. 

Tavernier's seventh league extremity of the play helped Bournemouth acceptable a caller nine grounds for their highest points tally successful a azygous top-flight campaign.

The Cherries collected 57 points from 38 Premier League games, surpassing their 56-point tally from the 2024-25 season. 

Not lone did they execute their champion decorativeness successful the apical flight, but Bournemouth besides finished the run with an 18-game unbeaten run, signaling 8 victories and 10 draws since losing 3-2 to Arsenal astatine the commencement of January. 

Former RB Leipzig brag Marco Rose volition effort to physique upon Iraola's good enactment erstwhile helium takes implicit the reins up of the 2026-27 campaign.