Bournemouth began the first European campaign in their 127-year history with a 2-1 victory at Real Sociedad in their Europa League opener, a result greeted in the away end at the Anoeta Stadium by a flag that read ‘From -17 to Europe’.
It is now 11 years since the Cherries were first promoted to the Premier League, long enough that a generation of supporters regards top-flight football as the norm. For most of those celebrating in San Sebastian, though, the evening still felt surreal. In 2008 the club was on the brink: a 10-point deduction for entering administration brought relegation to League Two, and to remain in the Football League for the 2008-09 season Bournemouth had to accept a further 17-point deduction and agree not to appeal, after it was ruled that, having been unable to agree a Company Voluntary Arrangement, they had not met the terms for exiting administration.
The contrast could hardly be sharper now. Thoughts of a £100m-rated midfielder picking out a Brazil winger to head Bournemouth to victory in Europe were once the stuff of fantasy; on Thursday it was the club’s reality, with Alex Scott impressing in San Sebastian and Rayan underlining why the Cherries will demand every penny of a reported £130m release clause to let him go.
Bournemouth have nothing to compare it to, but this was a proper European away performance. Against a Real Sociedad side led by World Cup-winning forward Mikel Oyarzabal and fresh from beating Atletico Madrid to win the Copa del Rey last season, they were dominant for 45 minutes, suffocating their hosts with relentless pressing and winning the ball back high up the pitch time and again, while still creating chances even when the defence was set. The Basque side came out fighting after the break, and as Sociedad ramped up the pressure the adrenaline-fuelled first half appeared to catch up with Bournemouth. But their desire to compete never wavered, and with Djordje Petrovic sharp in goal they held on for a famous win — no small thing for a team that had surrendered leads in each of their first four Premier League games.
“It’s a brilliant win in our first European game. It’s brilliant for the club and the 2,000 fans from Bournemouth,” manager Marco Rose said. “It was very intense and tough. Brilliant first half in everything. The way we won balls and the possession high up. In the second half, we needed to suffer because we were not so sharp.”
Speaking on BBC Radio Solent, former Cherries full-back Charlie Daniels added: “It is a big occasion. A big moment for the club, and they should be applauded for it.”
It was fitting that the team was led out by Adam Smith, a player involved during Eddie Howe’s first spell in charge. Howe was appointed in January 2009 and guided the Cherries to safety, finishing nine points clear of the relegation zone despite that 17-point deduction; a mere six and a half years later, back for a second spell, he had taken Bournemouth to the Premier League. Smith joined on loan during the 2010-11 campaign, returned on a permanent deal in 2014 and has been at the club ever since, with approaching 400 league appearances to his name. On Thursday he made history of his own, becoming, at 35 years and 141 days, the oldest English outfielder to make his debut in major European competition since Ipswich’s Reginald Pickett in 1962.
“Adam has been with the club for so long,” Daniels said. “Dedicated himself to the club, and it’s such a proud moment, not only for him, but for his family, his team-mates and old team-mates to see how he’s grown — not only as a player but as a man as well. To lead out the Cherries on this historical night is fantastic.”
Things have been far from straightforward for Bournemouth even in recent years, with relegation in 2020 and, since re-establishing themselves in the top flight, a seemingly annual battle to replace players picked off by Europe’s top clubs. Even qualifying for Europe was not enough to keep hold of manager Andoni Iraola, who returns to the Vitality Stadium with his new club Liverpool on Sunday. That pattern is unlikely to stop any time soon, but while nights like this one remain possible, Bournemouth’s supporters won’t be complaining.