Villarreal’s Iñigo Pérez ready to meet Iraola again in test of old bond

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On Iñigo Pérez’s first day as a head coach he took a call from Andoni Iraola, just as he had every day for months. Ever since I knew Iñigo, I thought he had the personality to be a coach.

In fact, he had a clearer idea about being a coach than I did.”David López, who played alongside them, says: “It’s no surprise they became coaches.” Eneko Bóveda, who came through the academy with Pérez, says: “They might have become coaches individually; together, they were bound to. He wants to carry on!’ He’s going to Iñigo: ‘Bravo!

“But then they’re football nutcases who learned from everything,” Boveda says.Andoni Iraola, then at Bournemouth, invited Iñigo Pérez and his Rayo Vallecano side to England for a pre-season friendly in August 2024. When Iraola heard Pérez was retiring, he called immediately, convincing him to come to Rayo.