Chelsea FC met with Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola to show its interest in bringing him to the bench, but it continues to monitor other candidates.
Chelsea learned of the rejection suffered by Crystal Palace from Spanish coach Andoni Iraola, so, to show their strong interest, they have decided to meet with the strategist, according to The Sun. However, things remain up in the air, and the other options for the west London club remain Xabi Alonso and Marco Silva.
Despite the approach, the Spanish coach prefers to maintain his position of not rushing things and also not saying in advance which club he will join, this out of respect for his current club, Bournemouth, where he has had a spectacular season, leading the club with a humble squad to sixth place in the Premier League (momentarily).
Which could grant him both qualification for the Europa League and a possible spot for the following Champions League. In both cases, it would be the team's first time participating in those competitions.
“I am in no hurry. I will not talk about my future. I am totally focused on finishing the season with a reward for the players and fans,” Iraola mentioned. It is said that Crystal Palace already tried to convince the coach to join the club next season on a couple of occasions, but both proposals were rejected.
Meanwhile, Chelsea continues its search for a coach to arrive on the bench this summer, maintaining four favorite candidates, including Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth, who is completing a historic season for the club.
Xabi Alonso, who was fired a couple of months ago from Real Madrid, after a disastrous season for the Merengue team, in which, honestly, he cannot be blamed, because, despite his dismissal, the club has remained on the same line, or has even gotten worse.
Marco Silva is also strongly linked to joining the Blues’ bench; however, Fulham has already offered him a multimillion-dollar contract to try to retain their coach, so his arrival at Stamford Bridge would be complicated. And Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace coach who ends his contract with the club this summer, is mentioned as one of the candidates to manage Chelsea next season.
What is clear is that interim coach Calum McFarlane will not receive an opportunity beyond serving as the “firefighter” who puts out the team’s current fire while the arrival of a renowned coach is finalized.
Join The Conversation
Roundtablesports is Free to join! You can post your own thoughts, comment on articles, and start conversations with our Roundtable Writers.
Download the FREE Roundtable APP, and get even easier access to your favorite teams and news!