“From -17 to Europe,” said a flag in the Anoeta stadium. As Bournemouth embarked on the first European campaign in the club’s 127-year history, it served as a reminder of how far they have come. But a 2-1 win against Real Sociedad in their Europa League opener shows they are not ready to stop there. It’s been 11 years since the Cherries were first promoted to the Premier League, meaning there’s now a generation of fans who will. “It’s a brilliant win in our first European game. It’s brilliant for the club and the 2,000 Bournemouth fans,” coach Marco Rose told TNT Sports. However, for the vast majority of fans who celebrated a famous victory on Thursday, the whole thing still seems surreal. Just 18 years ago, the club was on the brink of the abyss. A 10-point deduction for entering administration resulted in their relegation to League Two. To even remain in the Football League for the 2008–09 season, they had to accept a 17-point deduction and agree not to appeal the decision after it was ruled that, as they had failed to reach a voluntary agreement with the company, they had not met the terms of exiting administration. Bournemouth’s victory in Europe was a fantasy as the Dorset club fought for survival. But that is now the reality for Bournemouth with Alex Scott strutting around San Sebastian, showing why there is such a buzz about his signature among the Premier League’s top clubs, and Rayan providing another example of why the Cherries will demand every penny of a £130m release clause to let him go. Bournemouth have nothing to compare it to, but this was a proper European away performance. For a World Cup-winning striker like Mikel Oyarzabal who beat Atlético de Madrid to win the Copa del Rey last season, they dominated for 45 minutes. They suffocated Sociedad with their relentlessness without the ball, winning the ball back high up the pitch time and time again and showing the quality on the ball to create opportunities even when the defense was set. But the Basque team has an advantage and, despite how poor they had been, their coming out fighting after the break was no surprise. The Rose team’s adrenaline-fueled exuberance in the first half seemed to catch up with them in the second, but their desire to compete never wavered. Bournemouth are not known for their defensive resilience and, as Sociedad increased the pressure as the match progressed, thoughts might have turned to the leads lost in each of their first four Premier League games. But the Cherries, aided by Djordje Petrovic’s sharp reflexes in goal, held on to secure a famous victory. “It was very intense and hard,” Rose told TNT Sports. “Brilliant first half in everything, the way we won the balls and the possession at the top, we had to suffer because we were not so precise.” Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, former Cherries full-back Charlie Daniels added: “It’s a great moment for the club and it should be applauded.”
