After three successful seasons at the helm of Bournemouth, Andoni Iraola has decided that his time as manager of the ‘Cherries’ has come to an end. When the Basque manager arrived at the club, the objective was clear: to establish the team in the Premier League and ensure they were a permanent fixture in the top flight of English football.

Under Iraola, they have achieved those goals. The statistics prove it. This season, they have already secured their Premier League status with five games remaining, and are in the thick of the battle for a European spot next season. It would be the perfect finishing touch to the great work Andoni has done at the helm of Bournemouth.

He has always had faith in the squad, and despite players such as Hiusen leaving for clubs like Real Madrid, Iraola has managed to maintain the team’s competitive level. Leaving the club whilst securing a European place would be the perfect finishing touch to the work carried out over these three seasons.

Premier League table after matchday 33

• 5. Liverpool 55 points +11
• 6. Chelsea 48 points +11
• 7. Brentford 48 points +4
• 8. Bournemouth 48 points 0
• 9. Brighton 47 points +6
• 10. Everton 47 points +1
• 11. Sunderland 46 points -4
• 12. Fulham 45 points -3

Future undecided

Since the news broke, all eyes have been on Bilbao, given that just a few weeks ago Ernesto Valverde announced he would be stepping down as Athletic’s manager at the end of this season. Andoni Iraola is a legend at San Mamés, so he is among the candidates to become Athletic’s next manager.

Despite this, Iraola himself has made it clear that he does not know what he will be doing next season. He is also likely to receive significant offers from the Premier League. What he has made clear is that he does not want to discuss his future until the season is over, and that he wants to focus on getting Bournemouth as high up the table as possible. And if that means European competition, so much the better.

To that end, the first of those five matches takes place this very Wednesday, as they host Leeds United at the Vitality Stadium. The truth is that the ‘Cherries’ face a run of mid-table opponents, so they may have nothing to play for in this final stretch of the season. The toughest match is on the penultimate matchday, when they host Manchester City. But their fate is in their own hands when it comes to securing a place in the Europa League or the Conference League.

Bournemouth’s remaining fixtures before the end of the season

• Bournemouth - Leeds United
• Bournemouth - Crystal Palace
• Fulham - Bournemouth
• Bournemouth - Manchester City
• Nottingham Forest - Bournemouth