Rayo Vallecano manager Andoni Iraola has admitted he held talks regarding a move to Premier League strugglers Leeds United following the sacking of Jesse Marsch.
Rayo may be about to fall short in their pursuit of a European place – Monday’s 3-1 defeat at Real Betis leaving the team from Vallecas two points adrift of La Liga’s top seven – but Andoni Iraola’s debut season in a top-flight dugout can still be considered a huge success.
A second-tier side as recently as 2021, Iraola has Rayo punching above their weight on a miniscule budget, all the while playing an ‘incredible brand’ of high-octane attacking football. The 40-year-old former Spain international did his reputation no harm while masterminding a victory over Spanish champions Barcelona earlier this month; Robert Lewandowski paying a gracious tribute to their hard-running hosts after the game.
As such, Iraola is likely to be a man in demand when his Rayo contract expires at the end of June.
Leeds held talks with Iraola after sacking Marsch in February. The nature of Sam Allardyce’s short-term deal means that a new approach from Elland Road is not out of the question either.
Leeds United may return for Rayo Vallecano boss Andoni Iraola.
“I was really pleased that (Leeds) thought of me as an option to coach there,” Iraola tells Sky Sports. “I talked to Rayo Vallecano, who obviously were the ones who had to make the decision, and I understood also that Rayo wanted to continue with me”
“It was a very open decision. We talked to the club. Leeds were also very open with Rayo Vallecano. We talked for one day. (I thought) ‘OK, it’s not the moment. It’s over.’
“I am very pleased that they thought of me as an option, but I am also very happy here working for Rayo Vallecano.”
Iraola, who would have set Leeds back a cool £7 million due to a sizeable release clause in his soon-to-be-expiring contract, has also been linked with West Ham, though the smart money is on David Moyes staying in situ at the London Stadium.
‘The top league’
“Right now, the Premier League is probably the top league,” Iraola adds. “Because in the end it’s about budget, about money. And, right now, they are by far the richest league. But I don’t know if later I will have the chance (to coach in England).
“We have to think short-term. I have to think about the next training session, the next game, about my things here in Rayo Vallecano. And then let’s see what happens.”
Iraola honed his view of the game under Leeds legend Marcelo Bielsa at Athletic Bilbao around a decade ago. And Bielsa’s influence is clear to see in the dynamic, free-flowing way Rayo Vallecano go about their business.
Leeds are reportedly eyeing up Feyenoord’s Eredivisie-winning boss Arne Slot too. And do not rule out Philippe Clement; the former Club Brugge coach ‘expecting to be sacked’ by Monaco.
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