His smile betrayed him at the end of the match with Mallorca. Iraola had managed to get Rayo into a Cup semifinal forty years later. The current coach had not yet been born when the red-and-red team, then led by Peñalva, faced that tie with Sporting in March 1982. Now will live a historic moment with the Vallecano club, after having left Guijuelo, Bergantiños, Mirandés, Girona and Mallorca along the way. Although this milestone of reaching the semis is no stranger to him, since with the recently promoted Mirandés he also achieved it just two years ago, in the 19-20 season, after beating Coruxo, UCAM Murcia, Celta, Sevilla and Villarreal. That rookie in the Second Division was able to beat no more and no less than three First Divisions in the KO tournament.
Iraola has always expressed his weakness for the Cup, which is, without a doubt, his fetish competition. Of the 17 ties he has played as coach, he has only lost two, against Real Sociedad at the head of the wild boars and against Barça already directing the Madrid team (in the second round of the last edition). Their respective executioners ended up being crowned the champions of both Cups.
However, his idyll with this tournament began years before, when he was an Athletic player. The then right side he played up to three Cup finals (2009, 2012 and 2015), all of them with a common denominator: he faced Barça and ended up losing. That last one also marked the end of his career as a lion. “I love the Cup, It has given me a lot and I have never earned it“, confessed between laughs the one from Usurbil to AS weeks ago.
This Friday the draw will be held and Iraola’s vision is far from popular belief. “I prefer the first leg at home. In the playoff it was like that and it went well for us. It will be difficult for the rival who touches us to touch us. Getting ahead in these qualifying rounds is very important and that’s why I think it’s good for us to start in Vallecas. Many will want the other way around. We will have to play against a very strong team and at home we will be able to withstand that challenge better”, he explained at a press conference, where he admitted: “Of the four semifinalists, we will be the least favourites, although we have to fight hard. The competition will put us in our place. We are not satisfied.”
Iraola has become, by right, the revelation coach. At 39, he is the youngest in Primera, but that has not prevented him from having the Rayo eleven days in European positions -two of them, in Champions- and displaying a very recognizable game. With 31 points, you already have the goal of salvation within reach.
Present and promising future
Iraola has a resume that supports him. At the helm of AEK Larnaca (18-19) he won the Cyprus Super Cup and qualified the team for the group stage of the Europa Leaguefor the second time in its history. Already on the Mirandés bench (19-20) he struck again, reaping a comfortable salvation —finished eleventh— and taking him to the Cup semis. In his debut at the head of Rayo (20-21) he cemented the promotion to First by way of the playoff and put him in the eighth cupbearers. It has a huge projection.