Bournemouth, England — Cherries coach Andoni Iraola don talk say he value winning FA Cup pass to dey play for Europe as him team prepare to face Manchester City for quarter-finals on Sunday. Di winners of FA Cup go get guarantee spot for di group stage of di Europa League di next season.
For one interview wey him do with Guillem Balague for BBC 5 Live’s Football Daily, Iraola talk say, “Di FA Cup na, for me, much more important than to play for Europe. Na title. Sometimes dem dey talk about di cup competitions as way to enter Europe. I no dey care about Europe. We dey play final, we dey fight for one title. For me, e dey much more important.”
Bournemouth face tough challenge against di seven-time FA Cup winners wey be City, dem wey lose last year final to Manchester United. But Iraola dey insist say no reason make him team no fit beat Pep Guardiola’s side and carry di cup.
“I believe say we fit win am,” he add. “We no be di favourites, especially with di opposition we get for quarter-finals but I think say we don show say we fit win am. We dey three games away from winning am. With beta day from our players, we fit beat any team. I believe say we get our chance, no be as big as City or Aston Villa, but we get chance,” he continue.
Iraola wey don play over 10 years for Athletic Bilbao don face Guardiola’s Barcelona many times, and he talk say, “I lose many times” against dem. City don dominate for di league in di past years but dis season don be more difficult for dem, no dey in contention for di title for most of di season. Dis don make some people suggest say Guardiola style no dey effective again, but Iraola no agree.
“Pep Guardiola na di best manager wey I don know. I no get doubts,” he talk. “E get structure, organisation, multiple options, but at di end of di day, I think wetin he dey try do na to put di player for di best scenario to make am shine.”
Iraola add say preparing to play against Guardiola sides na one of di hardest tasks, saying, “Normally, against other teams, dem dey play like dis, dem get dis adaptations… With Pep, you gatz analyze like, I no know, nine or ten different ways wey dem fit go.”
<p“Di last game wey we play against dem, we prepare for some main structures and straight away, for di third minute, we gatz change everything. E dey very challenging but na di kind challenge wey you dey here for,” he conclude.
As e stand, Bournemouth dey 10th for di Premier League, just four points off di Champions League spots. Di Cherries don deliver some impressive results under Iraola – wey don take charge since 2023 – especially beating di likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham for di league dis season.
“I still dey feel say I get plenty to learn,” Iraola talk. “For me, di jump to di Premier League na big challenge. Even if you sabi di teams and di players, you gatz really dey here to feel wetin di Premier League dey be. Most of di managers we dey face every week, most of dem – if no be all – don achieve more than me, so I still gatz prove plenty things.”
One player wey don shine under Iraola dis season na Dean Huijsen. Di 19-year-old don rise to prominence, quickly becoming one of di standout defenders for di Premier League. His good form don carry am enter di Spain national team for di first time dis year, and he don dey linked with some of di biggest clubs in Europe.
“No be surprise for us,” Iraola talk about Huijsen’s form. “I remember his first game against Nottingham Forest away against Chris Wood – he do one hell of a job and I think we don dey start to realize, ‘he dey 19, but probably he dey more ready than we expect for dis moment.’”
“He don get one amazing season. Na one of di best feelings as a coach when you feel say you don help dat player make big jump for one season and put am for position wey he for don reach anyway for any team or any competition. He for don find way to reach di top level but e go be big reward for di staff, for di coaches. He still get plenty room for improvement, which be good thing for am, but I dey very happy for am.”
