When Andoni Iraola was at Rayo Vallecano, he was asked in an interview with Spanish sports outlet Relebo who he enjoyed watching. His response feels especially relevant now. “Gladbach, coached by Marco Rose, was one of my favorite teams,” Iraola said.
“I really like German football, because as a spectator you love to see things happen. It’s not like you attack for two minutes and then it’s my turn. Everyone on the pitch is attacking and defending, so each player has to play more and more roles.”
“I like football where the players do everything. The attackers press as defenders, and the central defenders drive forward and protect the last line. It’s very complete tactical football. That’s why I liked Gladbach under Coach Rose. I could see it working well.”
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Free to watch: Newcastle vs Bournemouth match highlights
More than three years later, we have come full circle. Rose, who has perhaps unwittingly been an inspiration to this Bournemouth team, will take over this summer following Iraola’s decision to leave. Are Premier League teams at risk of making consistent personnel decisions?
Maybe it’s easier to change jobs from a position of strength. News of Rose’s impending arrival comes as Bournemouth continue to make strides and are in the midst of their longest unbeaten run in the Premier League. They will still be able to qualify for Europe.
But Tiago Pinto and other decision-makers on the south coast still deserve credit for acting extremely wisely. Iraora isn’t the only one who admires him. This is not Sir Alex Ferguson hand-picking David Moyes. That’s why Iraora admires him, and that’s very important.
Andoni Iraola’s attacking style at Bournemouth is well illustrated by the statistics
Rose has a track record of providing Iraola’s preferred brand of vertical football. In fact, it goes back even further than his time at Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he was educated as a player under Jurgen Klopp at Mainz and as a fledgling coach within the Red Bull system.
It was Klopp who informed Rose that the then-defender would become coach in 2004, when Mainz were promoted to the First Division. He worked there as an assistant before moving on to coach Red Bull Salzburg’s Under-16 team before joining the first team.
That Salzburg team was very strong, winning two titles, going undefeated at home and achieving impressive results in Europe. His excellent performances in Austria earned him a chance at Gladbach and qualified him for the Champions League.
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Sky Sports’ Mark McAdam considers why Bournemouth appointed Marco Rose to replace Andoni Iraola
His move to Borussia Dortmund, for which he paid a large sum of money to get out of his contract, ended after one season, despite finishing second in the Bundesliga. Rose returned to Red Bull’s fold at RB Leipzig and got the most out of him.
As Rose once said, “We stand for a certain way of playing at RB,” and he will become the club’s longest-serving head coach in the top division, building on principles first laid down by Ralph Rangnick. It’s a game that any Bournemouth fan will recognize.
When I spoke to Leipzig’s sporting director Marcel Schaefer about this, he described them as “a team that is strong on the ball, but especially strong on the ball”, and that was certainly the case for most of Rose’s time as manager.
In fact, among the European powerhouses competing in the Champions League, only Real Madrid, led by Carlo Ancelotti, scored more goals from fast breaks during Rose’s tenure from September 2022 to March 2025.
Of course, not everything was smooth sailing. Rose has been out of work for a year after his old friend Klopp, who once claimed he could take any job in football, took the difficult decision to sack his former player after a tough final season at Leipzig.
There was a feeling that the club was moving away from their principles. “When you’re part of the first team, you have to find solutions with the ball,” Schaefer explained. “But you can’t change the whole philosophy. It’s not the real thing.” Bournemouth will want the real Rose.
Certainly, his individual style should help him adapt. Rangnick once described Rose as a menschenfanger (a person who catches people). This is a word often used when evaluating manager Klopp. He has a way of drawing people to him and getting them on his side.
Marco Rose and Reus Openda hug at RB Leipzig (December 2024)
Former Leipzig forward Reus Openda described Rose as a “really intelligent coach who knows where to put the players”. And perhaps even more so if Bournemouth qualify for Europe.
The manager has qualified for the Champions League with three different Bundesliga clubs and knows how to manage two games a week, which is difficult for a team that wants to play with intensity. Rose’s experience will be a great asset there.
Bournemouth have gotten this far through smart recruitment. Adrian Truffert replaced Milos Kerkes at left-back. Rayan is seen as a promising successor to Antoine Semenyo. Now, the journey doesn’t have to end when the bus leaves. Just ask Iraora herself.
