Cesc Fabregas’ praise for Andoni Iraola highlights the one thing Chelsea currently lacks: a clear identity and the patience to build it.
Cesc Fabregas and Andoni Iraola crossed paths primarily as rivals in La Liga during the early 2010s, when Fabregas was pulling the strings for Barcelona and Iraola was the dependable captain of Athletic Bilbao.
Iraola has built a stellar reputation for high-intensity, relentless football, successfully transforming Bournemouth into a top-ten Premier League side.
Fabregas has been equally impressive in Italy, leading Como into Serie A and implementing an attractive, possession-heavy style. As of now, both Fabregas and Iraola are at the centre of the Chelsea managerial conversation following the exit of Liam Rosenior.
While Iraola offers proven Premier League experience and a clear structure, Fabregas represents a gamble who understands the Chelsea culture from the inside.
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Cesc Fabregas has plenty of praise for Andoni Iraola
Speaking on BBC Five Live Sports back in 2024, Cesc Fabregas was complimentary of Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, having kept an eye on him during his time in Spain.
“I really like the session, I see exactly what (Iraola) he’s trying to do. He communicates really well with the players, he has a really good structure. I like the setup of the training session. He built it from a lower intensity to a higher one, and the concept that he was giving to the players.
“It was the first time I started hearing good things about Andoni Iraola (at Rayo Vallecano). I’m not surprised where he is or what he’s doing, because you can see the style is very, very clear.
“And with the patience that we already talked about before with Mikel, or probably that they are now giving to Vincent Kompany.
“If you really believe in it and give the right players to the manager, most of the time it will come off.”
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