Rayo Vallecano coach Andoni Iraola is an ‘excellent candidate’ for the Leeds United job and could bring an ‘incredible brand of football’ with him to the Premier League, La Liga expert Phil Kitromilides tells talkSPORT (8 February, 10.20am).
An aggressive, high-pressing, front-foot approach? A penchant for improving individual players, coaxing career-best performances out of a seemingly average group? Building a team far greater than the sum of it’s parts?
For Leeds supporters, the attributes Iraola could bring to Elland Road should feel tantalisingly familiar.
Iraola played under Marcelo Bielsa at Athletic Bilbao. And it seems that the student is taking plenty of inspiration from his old mentor as he makes a name for himself as one of Europe’s best up-and-coming coaches.
Iraola, a committed disciple at the temple of Bielsa, is a frontrunner to replace Jesse Marsch at Elland Road (The Athletic). And Kitromilides, host of La Liga TV, believes that the 40-year-old former Spain international has shown more than enough at Rayo Vallecano to suggest he is ‘ready’ to make the step up to one of England’s most historic clubs, despite a relative lack of top-level experience.
Andoni Iraola could replace Jesse Marsch at Leeds United
“It sounds like he is leading the potential candidates. Iraola looks like he could be, if not the favourite, then certainly up there, and for a number of reasons. Obviously, he is an excellent candidate,” Kitromilides explains.
“What he’s done with a really, really small club in Spain with absolutely no money…”
Iraola’s Rayo Vallecano side are currently fifth in La Liga; three points adrift of the Champions League places. He also led Rayo to the Copa del Rey semi-finals in 2022, and did the same during a remarkable stint at Mirandes, a ‘tiny’ side with a population of just 30,000.
“He’s improved this Rayo team, which is a limited team in terms of big names and quality. He improves players individually, and got them playing an incredible brand of football. So he’s a really, really strong candidate,” Kitromilides adds.
“And you can understand why Leeds are looking at him.
“(Iraola’s style) is a sort of ‘organised chaos’. He inherited that from his mentor (Bielsa). They get the ball out wide as quickly as possible and use the two-flying full-backs and wingers. Not just getting to the by-line but cutting inside, lots of overlapping.
“It’s an aggressive, high intensity, high press kind of football. One that is really, really good to watch.”
‘I think he’s ready’
Iraola ended his playing career in the USA with New York City FC. As such, he has a decent grasp of the English language, which should only aid his adaptation on the Premier League stage.
“I think Iraola could well be the right fit,” predicts Kitromilides. “He speaks English as well. I think he’s ready. There is a lot of things to be excited about in terms of Iraola going to Leeds.”
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