Álex Jiménez, Bournemouth’s 21-year-old right-back, will miss the upcoming match following an incident involving a 15-year-old minor.
Bournemouth are dreaming of Champions League football. Their 0-1 victory against Fulham strengthened their hold on sixth place in the Premier League, keeping their hopes of playing in the top European competition alive for next season. However, head coach Andoni Iraola will not be the one to enjoy it fully.
But not all news was positive for the Cherries. The build-up to matchday 36 was overshadowed by the club’s decision to sideline Álex Jiménez after reports emerged that he had exchanged messages with a 15-year-old girl.
Andoni Iraola had to face the media after the win at Fulham, addressing both the Jiménez situation and recent speculation linking him with Crystal Palace. Despite the sensitivity of the issue, he handled it calmly and openly.
“This group shows me every day, not just today, that they are desperate to achieve the goal. Everyone is pushing in the same direction,” Iraola said, highlighting his team’s ambition. He also praised right-back Adam Smith, who stepped in for Jiménez: “Until yesterday I didn’t know he would play, and today he responded fantastically. He ran, covered ground, and was incredible defensively. I especially want to highlight his reaction to this situation.”
Regarding Álex Jiménez, the coach stated: “Right now there is an investigation ongoing, but I’m not going to go into that. I don’t know how long it will take, so we’ll have to wait until everything is clarified.”
When asked about rumors linking him to Crystal Palace, Iraola replied: “Out of respect for Bournemouth, I’m not going to talk about that. I haven’t made any decision. I’m completely focused on finishing the season well and achieving a reward. When it ends, the time will come to decide, but my focus is here now.”
