ANDONI Iraola says a Cherries training session is likely to get in the way of cheering on his nation in the women’s World Cup final on Sunday morning.
Spain face England in Australia, at 11am UK time, with a familiar face to Iraola part of the Spanish coaching staff.
Former Barcelona midfielder Montse Tome serves as assistant Jorge Vilda, the 41-year-old having been part of the same coaching training course as Iraola.
Asked if he will be watching the women’s World Cup final on Sunday, Iraola said: “I think I will not, because I think we will train in this moment, we are training at 10.30am or something like that.
“So it’s going to be tough. After we also want to see the Premier League games, so it’s always difficult.
“But yes, I will try to catch as much as I can from the game. I know especially Montse, because she was my classmate, who is the assistant coach of the Spain national team. So I hope especially for her they play well and they win the game.
“I think they (Spain) have been quite successful in the last years on the club side, especially with Barcelona winning the Champions League.
“They probably needed this last part with the national team where they could perform against the best teams in the world and they’ve done it in the World Cup.
“Montse the assistant coach, we did the UEFA Pro Licence together, we were in the same class in the Federation. I hope that they do well and I’m really happy she is doing so well.”
Asked if he will send Tome a message ahead of the game, Iraola said: “Yes, probably. But just a typical message when things go well and all the best.
“But we will see what they achieve. We will be training, it is going to be tough for us to watch the game. But we will see afterwards the result.”
Quizzed further on his training group, Iraola said: “At the end you are there focusing on passing your exams, taking all the practical things.
“It was a course we did in the Spanish Federation, I remember (Lionel) Scaloni was also part of the course and right now he is World Cup champion!
“And also famous Spanish footballers. But we did the course together with Montse. She was a player also for a lot of seasons in Spain so she was with us.”
With Scaloni and Tome potentially ending the weekend having both won World Cups in their coaching career, is Iraola eyeing up the FA Cup or Premier League to join them in the winners’ circle?
“That’s a different story! Each one has to make their course,” he said.
“We are doing our path let’s say, and I hope the best because we’ve learned together.”
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