Portugal Colonial - Rose to take charge at Bournemouth after Iraola exit

The highly-rated Iraola revealed last week he will leave the club after three years on England's south coast at the end of the current campaign.

Former Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig coach Rose has signed a three-year deal.

"AFC Bournemouth is delighted to confirm the appointment of Marco Rose as the club's new head coach on a three-year contract, which will begin following the conclusion of the 2025/26 season," the club said in a statement.

The Cherries are eighth in the Premier League, with five games to go this season, chasing European qualification for the first time in their history.

Iraola has been linked with a number of Premier League jobs and a return to Athletic Bilbao, where he spent the vast majority of his playing career.

Rose has been out of the game since being sacked by Leipzig in March 2025.

But the 49-year-old deploys a similar high-pressing style to the one Iraola has successfully implemented and has a track record of improving young players.

Rose has worked with the likes of Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Dominik Szoboszlai during his career in Germany and Austria and has vast experience of European football.

After winning two Austrian league titles with Red Bull Salzburg, Rose led Borussia Monchengladbach into the Champions League to earn his big move to Dortmund in 2021.

However, he lasted just one season with the German giants after finishing second in the Bundesliga to Bayern Munich.

Rose then had a two-and-a-half year spell at Leipzig, where he won the German Cup in 2023.

"The club's immediate focus remains firmly on finishing the current campaign as strongly as possible, with the players and staff continuing to show full commitment to achieving positive results and building on the current 13-game unbeaten run," added the Bournemouth statement.

"Everyone at AFC Bournemouth looks forward to welcoming Marco to Vitality Stadium as he begins his role as head coach in the summer."

X.M.Francisco--PC