19 June 2023 , 16:34
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Gary Lineker has called Bournemouth's dismissal of Gary O'Neil "ludicrous" after the Premier League side elected to change managers on Monday.
O'Neil led Bournemouth to safety after taking over from Scott Parker less than a month into the campaign. The 40-year-old has been relieved of his duties, though, with Andoni Iraola taking his place.
The decision came as a surprise to some, with a number of pundits having put O'Neil forward as a contender for manager of the season. Few were more baffled than Match of the Day host Lineker, who made clear he felt Bournemouth's move was the wrong one.
"Ludicrous decision after the excellent job O’Neil has done," Lineker wrote on Twitter. Bournemouth finished 15th in the Premier League last term, having lost three of their first four games under start-of-season manager Parker.
Mirror Football understands O'Neil learned of his fate following a 6am phone call from the club's higher-ups. Iraola, recently of Rayo Vallecano, was named as the new man at the helm within hours of O'Neil's departure being made official.
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A number of social media users echoed Lineker's stance in replies to the ex-England international. One described it as "madness" and another said "If he was walled Garios O'neilos he'd still be there," though others were impressed by the hiring of Iraola.
Have Bournemouth made the right call? Have your say in the comments section
Gary O'Neil was sacked after less than a year as Bournemouth manager (AP)Iraola arrives after helping stabilise Rayo in La Liga. After leading the team to promotion via the play-offs, the former Spain international defender led the team to successive top-12 finishes and a run to the semi-finals of the Copa Del Rey in 2022
A long-serving right-back at Athletic Bilbao, he played more than 500 times for the Basque club and helped them reach the Europa League final in 2012. After finishing his playing career with New York City FC, the 40-year-old managed Cypriot side AEK Larnaca and Spanish lower-league outfit Mirandes before his three fruitful seasons with Rayo.
"We're so excited to welcome Andoni to the club," Bournemouth owner and chairman Bill Foley said after the new arrival. "With his contract in Spain coming to an end this summer we wanted to act quickly.
"He was highly sought after by other clubs across the continent, and his style of play has been an important factor in making this decision. His achievements in Spain have certainly been very impressive, and we're confident that he is the right man to lead our next chapter.
"We have identified a number of targets in the transfer market, which along with our January additions will supplement our strong playing squad to give Andoni the best chance to consolidate our Premier League status and keep progressing."