ANDONI Iraola has shared he will be taking cup competitions very seriously this season.

Cherries have been drawn away to Championship side Swansea City in the second round of the EFL Cup.

Premier League teams not competing in Europe enter the competition at this stage, with the draw still regionalised.

Cherries’ record in the two main cup competitions in England does not make particularly pretty reading.

They have reached the quarter-final stage of the League Cup just twice, meaning last season’s foray into the round of 16 was a lengthy cup run by their standards.

The run to the quarter-finals of the 2020-21 FA Cup represents the only time Cherries have reached the final eight of the world's oldest knockout football tournament.

But Iraola does arrive with pedigree in cup competitions, having taken both of his two previous clubs to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, Spain’s equivalent of the FA Cup.

What is most impressive is that he reached the final four of Spain’s national cup with a second tier side, Mirandes, beating three top-flight sides before being knocked out by Real Sociedad in the semi-finals of the 2019-20 edition.

In his second season at Rayo Vallecano he repeated the trick, losing out in the semi-finals to eventual winners Real Betis.

Whilst some managers heavily rotate their sides for cup matches in order to rest players for league fixtures, Iraola does not subscribe to this belief.

Asked if he would be taking the cup competitions seriously, the Basque told the Daily Echo: “It's my idea.

“We've been successful with Rayo and Mirandes.

“We played with both in the semi-finals, the Spanish Cup.

“I like to compete.

“Some teams say that okay, ‘we're not going to give everything in the cup because it will take away something from the league, from the points.’

“But I don't buy this idea.

“I think the teams that normally do well in the cup normally are good also in the league.”

Most leagues across Europe do not feature a secondary cup competition, with managers and players in England complaining about fixture congestion.

With Iraola keen to play an intense and demanding style of football, there could be concerns of players being worn out, but the Spaniard believes he will have enough players to contend with a packed schedule.

“I think we will have enough players,” he continued.

“So when I feel that the players are really tired, we have to change.

“Obviously we have to.

“Call it rotation if you want, but from what I think right now is that we will have enough players to change some and the level will be the same, or similar at least.”

Cherries will start their EFL Cup campaign the week commencing Monday, August 28.