- 1 minute ago
Rose and Cook preview Bournemouth's Europa League debut away at Real Soceidad
16/09/2026
Estadio Municipal de Anoeta, Soceidad, Spain
UEFA26 Europa League
16/09/2026
Estadio Municipal de Anoeta, Soceidad, Spain
UEFA26 Europa League
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:02We're going to start our press conference with questions to Lewis before moving on to Marco.
00:10Alex, I think we'll start with you.
00:13Hi Lewis, Bournemouth's first game in Europe. It must be an almost surreal experience for you to be with the
00:20club in the Europa League. How does it feel?
00:23Yeah, I was on the way over here and I was thinking back to when I first joined and it
00:28was ten years ago now.
00:30The club was in a different position, a great good position.
00:34And then I think where it is now, it's amazing. It's been a journey.
00:38There's been lots of people who have got us to this point and I think in the last few seasons
00:42we've really kicked on
00:43and looking forward to the challenge to compete in this great competition.
00:49Obviously, it's great reflecting on the journey that Bournemouth have come on,
00:53but now you want to go on a new journey and go far in this competition.
00:57I guess it's straight down to business today and into tomorrow night.
01:02Yeah, definitely. I feel like there's been a lot of excitement building around Bournemouth in the last few weeks,
01:06last few months. It's exciting for us as players, as staff and for a club as well,
01:12but I feel like it gets to a point where the excitement has to start.
01:15There has to be new memories made and we're coming here and we're going to try and compete as well
01:20as we can against a tough opposition.
01:22And on the opposition, what were you expecting from Sociedad? How are you expecting the game to pan out?
01:29Yeah, I feel like they're a strong team technically. They've got a lot of technical, good players and they're in
01:36a very competitive league.
01:37They've got experience in this competition as well, so I think it's going to be a tough game.
01:40I think the atmosphere is going to be great for the fans here and it'll be a tough game.
01:46It's something that we need to look forward to and challenge ourselves against opposition, different to the Premier League.
01:51But yeah, it'll be a good game.
01:54And how much have you as a group lent on Marco and other members of the group, members of the
02:00squad,
02:01who've had that European experience before to sort of get a flavour of what to expect?
02:06Yeah, definitely. I think we're very fortunate to have a manager who's experienced this a lot and yeah, we can
02:11lean on him in certain moments definitely.
02:13And like you said, a few of the squad as well have played quite a few games in this competition.
02:17So they're people that we've got to try and lean on and use their experience to get us through tough
02:22moments in games,
02:23which I'm sure will happen at some point.
02:29When you say you need to sort of look back on the people that have had an impact on this
02:34journey,
02:34any in particular that stand out to you over the years in terms of maybe getting Bournemouth from where they
02:38are,
02:39where they've been to where they are now?
02:42Yeah, I feel like a long time ago the club was nearly falling out of the Football League
02:48and I think 17 years has gone by now and we're competing in Europe.
02:52So like you say, there are lots of people to thank.
02:54I think obviously people who have done long stints here as managers and staff were massively important to build the
03:00foundations
03:02and now obviously the last few years with the new ownership and Bill, he's really pushed us on to get
03:08to that next level that we needed
03:09and yeah, without them we definitely wouldn't have been here along with all the players that have been here past
03:13and present.
03:14What about for you personally? What does it mean in terms of a career goal and achievement?
03:19You know, maybe for you as a young player and as you said when you first signed for Bournemouth,
03:23sort of what you were looking to achieve back then?
03:26Yeah, I think I was so young, it was competitions like this was always something you'd watch when you were
03:31a child
03:32and something that we always thought we could achieve as a club. I think we've had high ambitions and obviously
03:38there's been ups and downs
03:39but yeah, it's something that I'm incredibly proud to be a part of and I think that the players are
03:45also very excited to be part of it as well.
03:47So yeah, it's a great achievement but like I say, it's now time to focus on the game and really
03:53give it a good shot.
03:54Now Marcus had to make some difficult decisions with the squad selection given what he's been able to do within
03:59the rules
04:00but said he wanted to stay true and loyal to the players that have been here a long time, that
04:04have got Bournemouth into the Europa League.
04:05What does that mean to you as a group of players and particularly you as someone that's been here a
04:10long time?
04:11Yeah, definitely. Obviously a new competition, new rules and it's quite hard to follow sometimes
04:15but all I can say is we've got lots of amazing players in this squad and whoever's playing, whoever's available,
04:22they're going to give it their all and really high quality players.
04:25So yeah, it's been good obviously, we've got to turn that into results and stuff with this squad we've got
04:30so looking forward to giving it a good go and yeah, hope tomorrow night starts well.
04:35Last one, what are you expecting from the atmosphere and the occasion?
04:39Yeah, obviously it's the first time being in Europa League so it's something new,
04:43I can't really say what I'm expecting but I'm sure it's going to be a great atmosphere,
04:48it's going to be enjoyable, it's the games you want to be involved in and there's going to be a
04:51bit of pressure
04:52but I think that's part of football and it's something we should all look forward to and cherish
04:56because like I say it doesn't always come round.
05:00Lewis, do you think it'll hit home when the anthem plays then?
05:03Yeah, I think so, I think obviously walking around the stadium here it's amazing,
05:06you see all the banners and stuff and it's all new but yeah,
05:11I think stuff like that is something that you'll always remember
05:13because it's special you know, special stadium, special competition
05:17and like I say we've worked really hard for the last few years and I'm looking forward to it.
05:24How far can you go? Are you looking at, for example, what Palace did last year in the Conference League,
05:29what Villa did in this very competition or is it just get through the league phase first and see what's
05:35what?
05:36Oh definitely, I feel like it's such a hard competition, I think you've got to take it game by game,
05:40I know it's a generic answer but you literally have to because if you start looking too far forward
05:44we're against a really good side tomorrow and it's going to be a tough game to manage
05:48and I think we just have full focus on that and obviously see where it goes.
05:51And you said, you know, you've watched this competition for years as a fan, as a player,
05:57is there a memory, a goal that you can remember I guess from across British teams in European football
06:03that stands out and you think, yeah, we can emulate that?
06:07Or you as a player scoring a goal can emulate some of the greats?
06:10No, not really, I feel like it's just kind of you see the players going abroad,
06:15playing in these competitions as well and you just know what it's about.
06:18I wouldn't say a specific game or a goal, it's just a feeling really, it's kind of a feeling of
06:23this is the next step and it's something that I'm really looking forward to
06:26and I feel like the club and the fans as well should really look forward to it.
06:33Okay, perfect, thanks everyone, thanks Lou.
06:40Okay, and moving on to questions for Marco, Alex if you want to kick us off.
06:45Marco, kicking off with Sociedad, Matarazzo has just told us that you go way back from your times in Germany,
06:55even in playing as youth teams and youth coaches.
06:59What are you expecting from his team and from the occasion tomorrow night?
07:05Oh, it's a strong team, high individual quality, it's a high intense team, so a lot of quality
07:15and it's getting, as Lou said, a tough challenge for us and Pellegrino is a really top coach.
07:24I think he came here, stabilised the team and won the cup, that's why they are playing in this competition.
07:31He's well known in Germany to improve and develop teams and you can see that he is the coach of
07:42this team,
07:43even when you see them playing. So it's getting a tough challenge, but we feel us in a good spot,
07:51we are quite confident
07:52and we are looking forward to start this competition.
07:59How much are you looking forward to starting the competition? I know you have only been in Bournemouth for a
08:03few months,
08:04but can you feel how special it is for the club to be here, particularly with the history that they
08:09have had,
08:10nearly going out of business and then climbing all the way up the leagues and now reaching this point?
08:14Yes, I can feel how special this moment is for the club, how everyone is looking forward.
08:21I mean, if you get sixth in the Premier League, this is a huge achievement as a club, like Bournemouth.
08:32And everyone deserved it and we are going to have 2,000 fans here tomorrow.
08:38So it shows how big the club is, how the club grew the last couple of years.
08:48And I really feel, I'm really thankful to be the coach in this situation, even though I was not in
08:57the club last season.
08:59But I really appreciate to get this moment together with the lads and with the fans and with all the
09:09guys here from the staff.
09:13And on the competition as a whole, obviously you're going into November, December, January when you have loads of games,
09:21two games a week and it will be very busy. What's the sort of strategy for approaching the Europa League?
09:26Are you going to try and go strong and maybe get points on the board early on and then try
09:32and maybe you don't need to get quite so many in the later stages?
09:40We're going to win the first four games and then we are not travelling anymore.
09:45Yeah, I mean, we know how challenging this season is going to be for us and it's going to get
09:55for us.
09:56We're going to have many games. We just started. Now we are close to a national break.
10:01Then we have even almost ten, eleven national players and then we play every three days until, I don't know,
10:10February without a break.
10:14So it's always good to start successful in a competition. It's a simple rule, but not just for us, even
10:25for Real Sociedad or the other teams who are in this competition.
10:30So that's what we try tomorrow, to get in the flow in this competition, to get the first three points
10:37because then the games are getting less and that's why it's good to get all the points you can grab
10:45at the beginning.
10:48And obviously, squad depth and substitutions in the games like this when you're having busy periods will be important. How
10:56are you going to look to approach that?
10:58Are you going to look to try and get people off fairly early on or is it going to be
11:04dictated by the game situation?
11:06Yeah, there's not a real master plan. So we have to see who we have and what spot the players
11:15are. So far we just miss Adli, we miss Junior Kruppi, we miss Velko and have two or three players
11:27more at home.
11:28So we are on a good spot. But of course, it's getting very important for me to handle the load
11:36and we start tomorrow because we have on Sunday a big game against Liverpool at home.
11:43We need to do our job in the Premier League as well. So, yeah, you can expect that we start
11:51to change earlier than we did it so far.
11:55The first games we, yeah, there were no reason to do it. We came in, yeah, in the season with
12:04the leds we have and we changed in several games really late.
12:10But now it's going to change.
12:13Funny for me, obviously there was one change to the Europa League squad this week with Ben Gunnendoke coming in
12:19for Junior Kruppi.
12:21Firstly, how pleased was Ben to be added in and can you just say a bit about the decision that
12:27you made to bring him into the squad?
12:30Yeah, it was a tough talk with him to tell him that he's not involved into the European squad because
12:39he had a good preseason.
12:42He scored goals and he's a good player, an interesting player, a young player who gives us something we don't
12:50have in our squad.
12:52He's a 1v1 player on the wings and he's difficult to defend.
12:57And, yeah, the rules, the new rules of the UEFA gave us the opportunity to make this change even for
13:06the first four games.
13:08We're going to see when Junior is back how we react.
13:13But it's good to have him in the squad and he was quite happy.
13:19Thank you very much.
13:21How difficult is the decision with your starting XI tomorrow?
13:24You've spoken a lot and have done there about needing to utilise your squad and everyone in it.
13:29As you said, you've got a big game coming on Sunday, but this is also a historic moment for the
13:34club.
13:34And no doubt you want to go as strong as possible.
13:38Yeah, and that's what we do. We go into the game as strong as possible.
13:42But even there I have to do some difficult decisions because the leds, they are not playing so much the
13:51last games.
13:53I'm sure in the cup game that they are ready to play.
13:57We're going to see. So it's not a hard decision for me. I'm going to do it. We're going to
14:02do it.
14:02And then we have the chance to change after, I don't know, 60, 65, 70 minutes and we're going to
14:11do it tomorrow.
14:12You've spoken a great deal about the work that was done before you by Andoni Erola.
14:16Of course, he is from here, just around the corner.
14:19I feel almost right that this is where Bournemouth's first game is taking place.
14:23Has he been in touch at all ahead of the fixture or has the game against Liverpool made that a
14:28little bit difficult?
14:30We were not in touch, but we're going to be in touch on Sunday.
14:34And I'm looking forward to meet him again.
14:37We spoke many times about our relation, about our talk we had when I signed.
14:45And, yeah, I'm, again, quite thankful about the situation we have to be here with all the people, with the
14:54fans tomorrow.
14:55And, of course, Andoni is a big part of the achievement.
15:02I think I'm right in saying you've been here before with Salzburg. What are your memories of this place and
15:06this team?
15:07Yeah, it was a building site, the stadium, so the stand on this side was not even there.
15:15And they build a really, really nice stadium, I have to say, with the well-known atmosphere in Europe.
15:21If you watch Sociedad games on a TV, you can feel the energy in the stadium.
15:28And that's what we're going to face tomorrow and we're looking forward to it.
15:32And you went deep into the competition that year. What was the secret to your run?
15:36What does it take to go far and deep in the Europa League?
15:40Yeah, now we have a new format, so it's different. We had a league phase with back-to-back games
15:47when we played here.
15:51But it's always about having a good start. If you don't start well, you need to get points out of
15:58the other games.
15:59So, yeah, play the group stage well. That's the most important thing. And then everything is possible game by game.
16:08Just finally for me, have you got a message to the Bournemouth supporters who are out here?
16:12There are many on our flight over. They're very excited. I think they'll be enjoying themselves in San Sebastian this
16:17evening.
16:18What's your message to them and how they can help you this season in the Europa League?
16:21Yeah, enjoy the evening. Have some beers. But not too much because I think tomorrow morning the sunrise is very
16:30nice.
16:31You should see it. So don't sleep too long because it's a special day tomorrow for everyone.
16:39Especially for the guys. They are here and to the guys at home. We are here and we are really
16:48proud to be here as a team.
16:50And we are going to try to make the day and the evening special tomorrow for the club and for
16:56everyone who is a fan of Bournemouth.
16:59Thank you, Marco. Marco, does it make it more special that 16, 17 years ago Bournemouth could have been playing
17:10National League football and now here they are playing Europa League football?
17:14Real Sociedad are used to nights like this. So are other teams in the competition.
17:18So for Bournemouth and the romanticism around this game and what it means, does it make it more special?
17:25Always. But I think every club has this kind of stories and histories. Even Real Sociedad founded in 1909, I
17:36think so.
17:37Maybe faced different times where they suffered and sometimes you get relegated.
17:45Sometimes you do wrong decisions as a club. Sometimes everything goes wrong.
17:51And because it's about football, human being things, you know. But the most important achievement is then to stay confident,
18:06to change your wrong decisions, to be brave, to get in touch with the right people,
18:13to bring the right people together, to create a community, to create the atmosphere, energy in a club, to achieve
18:21things like Bournemouth achieved the last couple of years.
18:27It's nothing easy. It's not that you just do it. It's hard work of many people.
18:37But the most important thing is that the right people came to the right moment together.
18:43And yeah, Bournemouth as a club can be really proud to handle it this way.
18:51You've now had experience in the Premier League and English football.
18:54You've managed in the Europa League before. I asked this a real soft you'd add earlier.
18:58What are the main differences? What makes the Europa League so different, for example, to the Premier League?
19:05I think the Premier League is special. I said, if you play Premier League, you have every weekend a Champions
19:12League game.
19:13Because it's always very tight. It's never done. You can be never sure.
19:21The intensity is always on the top, top level, especially if you start to see them.
19:26I think if we get to December, January, we know we're going to have so many games that maybe the
19:33things change a little bit.
19:35But at the beginning, it's just unbelievable if you watch Premier League games.
19:41But Real Sociedad, as I said, is a team, if you watch them, that is playing quite intense and I
19:49can compare it.
19:51So we shouldn't be surprised tomorrow if the game starts that it feels like a Premier League game.
19:58Good luck.
20:01Yeah, just here.
20:04Hi, Marco. Your name was mentioned when Matarazzo came to Real Sociedad.
20:12Have you ever been in talks to coach Real Sociedad?
20:17No.
20:18Okay.
20:21Okay.
20:23Yeah, just one here.
20:25You say that the stadium has changed since nine years ago.
20:30How much do you feel Real Sociedad has grown since then?
20:36Yeah, if you just see the stadium and the environment and the facilities, then the club has grown a lot.
20:44I mean, again, they won last season a title.
20:46I think in the Spanish League to win the cup is a big thing.
20:53You have big opponents with Barcelona, with Atletico, with Real and with other teams.
21:02So it's a big, big achievement.
21:04And if you do it, then you did something the right way the years before.
21:14Take care.
21:15Yeah, yeah.
21:16Don't worry.
21:17Is Real Sociedad one of the toughest teams in the competition?
21:24We respect every team.
21:26But, of course, Real Sociedad is one of the biggest names in the competitions, for sure.
21:34Okay.
21:35Yeah, just here.
21:36Hi, Marco.
21:37Hi.
21:37What do you think about Mikel Oyazava, a work as a player that remains in his hometown team?
21:43It's a bit strange.
21:45Yeah, unbelievable.
21:47But I just watched the game at the weekend and the guy who commentated the game said that he's here
21:53for, yeah, since he started his playing career.
21:56And he is wondering, is he doing something else maybe in the next years.
22:01So, if you do something like this, you are a special guy.
22:05You are a special person.
22:08And he is not just playing here.
22:11I think he's playing very well.
22:13He is world champion.
22:16He's a top player.
22:17He's a real leader.
22:19He's a number 10.
22:21It's a joy to watch him playing.
22:24And I'm looking forward to meet him tomorrow and shake his hand.
22:30Okay.
22:31Thanks, everyone.
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