Andoni Iraola Tactics At Rayo Vallecano 2022/2023: How Iraola Positional Play Ideas Are Thriving In La Liga – Tactical Analysis

In 2015, Andoni Iraola decided to leave Athletic Club Bilbao after a 15-year stay.

Commonly a right back, he was an outstanding player for his dedication, maturity, effort in each match, and passion for his shirt.

Under the guidance of various coaches, including Marcelo Bielsa and Ernesto Valverde, Iraola decided to become a manager in the final stage of his career.

However, he still did not know what would become of him after retirement.

The decision was made in New York City, thanks to Patrick Vieira.

After giving up his playing career, the former Arsenal player was sarcastically guilty of the Spaniards decision to become a coach.

Under a positional football concept, Iraola felt drawn to his conversations with the former legendary midfielder of the Premier League.

He wanted to understand things that werent in his mind as a player, and Patrick was happy to teach him.

It was in 2017 that he decided to hang up his boots and later lead AEK Larnaca in Cyprus.

It was an experience that he liked a lot because, according to him, it tested what he thought and whether that would work in football.

Then, with Mirandés, he reached the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey with such a good and fun football idea that gave him the right to be now the fashionable coach in La Liga with his Rayo Vallecano at only 40 years of age.

This article will be based on a tactical analysis of Iraolas tactics at Rayo Vallecano, together with an analysis of the team in both phases of the game.

Andoni Iraola Intensity off-the-ball

Andoni varies between a compact system that is usually a defensive 4-4-2 or 4-5-1, which awaits the rivals in the mid-block.

However, ideas have fluctuated, and Rayo Vallecano has become a team that presses very high, with great and positive aggressiveness and certain interesting positions within the defensive ideas of the former right-back.

First, we can discuss the statistical aspect of Rayos defensive game, as it is here where we can see the sign that they are an extremely proactive team when defending, registering a PPDA of 7.62, which is the third-lowest among teams that allow fewer passes before taking defensive action.

The positionings vary depending on the opponent, the oppositions setup in the build-up, and their intentions.

They have adopted the same approach, playing face-to-face against teams like Valencia, Sevilla, or Real Madrid, which they could potentially win 3-2 at home, for example.

There are clear ideas of how they want to defend their rival beyond the fact that certain things vary.

In principle, one of the wingers, mostly the left, closes his position to defend the central defenders and the centre-forward.

Behind, the rival #6 is nullified by the #10 of the Vallecas team.

Further back, the double pivot midfielders also seek to block the oppositions options in that area.

However, many of the turnovers they force occur in the central channel, thanks to their clever triggers, which avoid taking their marking too close or too far.

Meanwhile, the right-winger tries to press the rival full-back.

But as we mentioned, things vary due to the situations that the rival team wants to create with the ball.

For example, in the first figure that we show, Sevilla sends their full-back relatively high; therefore, Rayo Vallecanos left-back remains low with his line, in the same position as his opponent, who looks to threaten him.

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