Bournemouth win 2-1 at Real Sociedad in Europa League opener
On Thursday Bournemouth beat Real Sociedad 2-1 at the Anoeta Stadium in their Europa League opener, with Adam Smith captaining the side on the club's first European match. Manager Marco Rose described it as: "It's a brilliant win in our first European game. It's brilliant for the club and the 2,000 fans from Bournemouth," to TNT Sports.
A flag in the away end read "From -17 to Europe" as the Cherries embarked on the first European campaign in the club's 127-year history. It is now 11 years since the Cherries were first promoted to the Premier League, meaning there is now a generation of supporters who will view top-flight football as the norm. Eighteen years ago the club were on the brink: a 10-point deduction for entering administration resulted in relegation to League Two. To stay in the Football League for the 2008-09 season they had to accept a 17-point deduction and agree not to appeal after it was ruled that, as they had been unable to agree a Company Voluntary Arrangement, they had not met their terms for exiting administration.
Bournemouth were dominant for the first 45 minutes at the Anoeta, suffocating Real Sociedad with relentless pressing and winning the ball back high up the pitch to create chances even when the defence was set. Sociedad were led by World Cup-winning forward Mikel Oyarzabal and had beaten Atletico Madrid to win the Copa del Rey last season, providing a stern opponent for the Cherries.
The home side came out fighting after the break and ramped up the pressure, and Bournemouth's first-half adrenaline appeared to catch up with them in the second period. The Cherries, not known for defensive resilience, had to contend with sustained pressure but held on, aided by the sharp reflexes of Djordje Petrovic in goal. "It was very intense and tough," Rose told TNT Sports. "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."
Key individuals stood out as the club continued to attract attention in transfer discussions, with Alex Scott "swaggering around San Sebastian, showing why there is such a clammer for his signature among top Premier League clubs," and Rayan providing another example of why the Cherries will demand every penny of a reported £130m release clause to let him go.
Smith, who made his debut for the club in League One, captained Bournemouth on their European bow and has been at the club since joining on loan in the 2010-11 campaign before returning on a permanent deal in 2014 and making approaching 400 league appearances. Smith also made history, becoming, at 35 years and 141 days, the oldest English outfielder to make their debut in major European competition since Ipswich's Reginald Pickett in 1962. Charlie Daniels said: "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." He added on BBC Radio Solent: "It is a big occasion. A big moment for the club, and they should be applauded for it."
That rise has not been without upheaval—relegation in 2020 followed by the regular task of replacing players lost to other clubs—and qualifying for Europe did not prevent manager Andoni Iraola from leaving; he returns to the Vitality Stadium with his new club Liverpool on Sunday. That pattern is unlikely to stop anytime soon but, while there is the prospect of more nights like this one, Bournemouth supporters won't be complaining.
