Bournemouth's Rose Pays Tribute To Heroes Ahead Of AC Milan Clash

Bournemouth ready for AC Milan 

Bournemouth beat Sunderland for a first Premier League win under Marco Rose and now host AC Milan in the Europa League, with the German paying tribute to the club's history.

Marco Rose says 2009 survival bigger than AC Milan clash for Bournemouth...

Bournemouth manager Marco Rose paid tribute on Wednesday to the side that helped secure the club's Football League status, as the Cherries prepare to host Italian giants AC Milan in a landmark European fixture.

The Cherries kicked off their maiden Europa League campaign with a win at Real Sociedad before securing a 3-0 home victory over Sturm Graz last week.

A home clash with AC Milan, one of Europe's elite clubs, was far from the minds of Bournemouth supporters when the side were on the verge of dropping out of the Football League after being hit with a 17-point deduction ahead of the 2008/09 season for failing to meet the terms of exiting administration.

But Steve Fletcher's memorable goal against Grimsby ultimately secured survival in Bournemouth's final home game of the season at Dean Court, sparking a mass pitch invasion at the final whistle from jubilant Cherries fans.

Rose only took over from Andoni Iraola as Bournemouth manager ahead of this season, but the German is fully aware of a defining moment in the club's history as his team look to maintain their perfect start in the Europa League.

“We are looking forward to playing it, but I think many years ago the club had a much bigger game after the points reduction,” Rose said at a pre-match press conference.

“They needed to win the last game at home and Fletch scored a goal - but it is not about Fletch, it is about the whole team. This is a foundation to be here, to have these kind of games and we are looking forward to play this game.

“It is a huge club of Europe which is coming here, but we feel prepared. We love to play this kind of games and now we are going to go for it.”

The Cherries earned their first Premier League win under Rose with victory over Sunderland on Sunday.

AC Milan. AFC Bournemouth. Two clubs with very different histories, connected by one iconic look. Here's how the story of the stripes began - and why it comes full circle this week 🧵 https://t.co/dOwwVa6SqA

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) October 21, 2026

He now hopes to use that result as a springboard for further success against an AC Milan side managed by former Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim.

“We feel in a good spot,” added Rose. “As I said days ago, we had other topics, and now we won two games back to back and we are confident.

“But even before the two games we won, I always told you that I feel confidence in my team. Now we have created a good momentum for us and we should use it.”