Tiago Pinto: Milan-linked Iraola ‘first reason’ for Bournemouth’s success, I always follow Roma | OneFootball

Bournemouth director Tiago Pinto is full of praise for Milan-linked Andoni Iraola and admits, ‘I always follow Roma, I learned a lot with the Giallorossi.’

Outgoing Bournemoth coach Iraola has emerged as Milan’s leading candidate to replace Massimiliano Allegri after the Italian tactician’s dismissal on Monday.

According to the latest reports, Crystal Palace are also interested in the Spanish tactician who will be replaced by Marco Rose at Bournemouth.

The English club already confirmed the managerial change a few weeks ago.

“It was possible only because Andoni Iraola is not just a great coach but also a person from another world, with humility and a sense of responsibility for the club,” Tiago Pinto, a former Roma sporting director, told Gazzetta.

“Iraola is not selfish at all, and this move wouldn’t have been possible without him.

“Internally, we’ve never talked about other coaches because we wanted to do everything possible to keep him. When Andoni made it clear that the idea was not to continue, we spoke with the scouting coach department to identify the right profiles for our project and what we want to do in the coming years.”

Tiago Pinto at Roma, Twitter

Bournemouth have made some brilliant deals in the last year, selling Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Milos Kerkez to Liverpool and Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City.

“The first thing is the coach. Andoni was impressive in all this,” insisted Tiago Pinto.

“He is a man who transforms every difficulty or problem into a challenge to win. We, directors, must be good at recruitment, but if you don’t have the right man, it’s useless. Andoni is the first reason for all we’ve achieved.”

Pinto responded to a question about how his current role differs from his duties at the Stadio Olimpico, where he spent three years from 2021 to 2024.

“I feel more fulfilled here. We have a project that doesn’t change depending on results, or elections like in Portugal, or protests from the fans,” he said.

“We have a clear idea of what we want to do. A strategy. My goal is to ensure the path is followed every day, regardless of the results. And over the past two years, we’ve grown significantly structurally, especially in support for the first team.

“I learned a lot in Rome, but above all, the need to deal with unexpected situations every day now makes me seem like someone who isn’t afraid of any problem,” he continued.

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – MAY 19: Andoni Iraola, Manager of AFC Bournemouth, acknowledges the fans following the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Manchester City at Vitality Stadium on May 19, 2026 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

“When others here panic, I’m able to sit down, reflect, and manage everything. Those three years in Rome gave me an incredible ability to think beyond conflicts and handle chaos,

“I always follow Roma, and I’m very happy not only that they qualified for the Champions League but also that they finished third, which I think is wonderful. Congratulations to everyone, especially Massara, who, as a sporting director in Rome, is always under pressure.

WALSALL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 06: Frederic Massara, Sporting Director of AS Roma, looks on prior to the pre-season friendly match between Aston Villa and AS Roma at Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium on August 06, 2025 in Walsall, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

“I enjoy watching Serie A, I worry when Italy don’t qualify for the World Cup, and I don’t like this constant everyone-against-everyone mentality you always seem to have. I don’t think the problem is a lack of talent, but I do think this level of conflict makes everything feel suffocating.”

Bournemouth have earned a place in the Europa League in 2025-26, qualifying for a European competition for the first time in their history.