# 2026–27 AFC Bournemouth season
The 2026–27 [AFC Bournemouth](https://www.edgepedia.org/afc-bournemouth) season is the club's Premier League campaign and its first ever season in a European club competition, the [UEFA Europa League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-europa-league), which it earned by finishing a record-high sixth in the 2025–26 Premier League under head coach [Andoni Iraola](https://www.edgepedia.org/andoni-iraola).[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/bournemouth-europa-league-real-sociedad-milan-b3051377.html) • [2](https://www.afcb.co.uk/news/2026/may/24/match-report-v-forest/) Iraola left when his contract expired at the end of that season, and Marco Rose took charge for 2026–27.[3](https://www.gulf-times.com/pdf/2026/04/15/sport-20260415-1.pdf?ts=010959)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Competitions | Premier League, UEFA Europa League (first European campaign in club history)[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/bournemouth-europa-league-real-sociedad-milan-b3051377.html) • [2](https://www.afcb.co.uk/news/2026/may/24/match-report-v-forest/) |
| Head coach | Marco Rose, succeeding Andoni Iraola, who left at the end of his contract after the 2025–26 season[3](https://www.gulf-times.com/pdf/2026/04/15/sport-20260415-1.pdf?ts=010959) |
| Previous season | 6th in the 2025–26 Premier League, the club's highest ever finish[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/bournemouth-europa-league-real-sociedad-milan-b3051377.html) |
| Star signing | António Silva, a 22-year-old Benfica center back with Champions League, Europa League, and 20 Portugal caps, bought for £25.7m as a direct replacement for Senesi[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/11/premier-league-2026-27-preview-bournemouth) |
| League opener | Manchester City 2–1 Bournemouth, Sunday 23 August 2026; Bournemouth led for much of the game before Marcus Tavernier (84') and Joško Gvardiol (90+2) settled it[5](https://as.com/us/futbol/asi-marcha-la-premier-league-tras-la-jornada-1-de-la-temporada-2026-27-f202608-n/) |
| First European match | 2–1 win at Real Sociedad, with Justin Kluivert and Rayan scoring in the opening 20 minutes[6](https://englishleague.net/club/bournemouth) |
| Expectations | Guardian writers' average predicted position: 13th; bookmakers rated Bournemouth fourth favorites for the Europa League behind Leverkusen, Juventus, and Milan[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/11/premier-league-2026-27-preview-bournemouth) • [1](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/bournemouth-europa-league-real-sociedad-milan-b3051377.html) |
## Background: qualification and the change of coach
Bournemouth sealed European qualification late in 2025–26. Victory at Fulham all but guaranteed it, and the place was confirmed in the penultimate match, a home game against Manchester City in which Eli Junior Kroupi's strike was canceled by an [Erling Haaland](https://www.edgepedia.org/erling-haaland) equaliser in the 95th minute.[7](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/we-need-to-enjoy-every-moment-the-excitement-of-playing-in-europe-and-having-those-fixtures-is-an-incredible-problem-to-have-bournemouths-history-makers-on-their-european-bow) Iraola announced in April 2026 that he would leave when his contract expired at the end of the season, saying "this is the right moment for me to step away".[3](https://www.gulf-times.com/pdf/2026/04/15/sport-20260415-1.pdf?ts=010959) He bowed out after a 1–1 draw at Nottingham Forest on the final day, having led the club into Europe for the first time in its history.[2](https://www.afcb.co.uk/news/2026/may/24/match-report-v-forest/)
The club appointed [Marco Rose](https://www.edgepedia.org/marco-rose), whose pre-season work included a training camp in Saalfelden, Austria.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/11/premier-league-2026-27-preview-bournemouth) FourFourTwo described the appointment as evidence of a club that plans ahead, facing its busiest season yet without the man who took it there.[8](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/bournemouth-have-waved-goodbye-to-andoni-iraola-but-will-they-continue-to-build-upon-the-fine-work-he-laid-down-bournemouth-2026-27-season-preview)
## Squad
The most prominent summer signing was António Silva, a right-footed center back who prefers to play on the left of the central defensive pair, signed for £25.7m in a market where elite defenders were moving for around £50m.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/11/premier-league-2026-27-preview-bournemouth) Other arrivals highlighted by supporters included striker Álvaro Rodríguez and attacking right-back Juanlu Sánchez.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/16/premier-league-fans-previews-our-club-by-club-guide-to-2026-27) The registered first-team squad also includes goalkeepers Đorđe Petrović, Fraser Forster, and Michele Di Gregorio; defenders Adrien Truffert, James Hill, Bafodé Diakité, and [Max Aarons](https://www.edgepedia.org/max-aarons); midfielders Lewis Cook, Alex Scott, Tyler Adams, and [Ryan Christie](https://www.edgepedia.org/ryan-christie); and forwards Evanilson, Justin Kluivert, Amine Adli, Junior Kroupi, Daniel Jebbison, and Rayan.[10](https://www.afcb.co.uk/teams/) Alex Paulsen (Motherwell), Romain Faivre ([AJ Auxerre](https://www.edgepedia.org/aj-auxerre)), and Álex Jiménez (Fiorentina) went out on loan until 29 June 2027.[10](https://www.afcb.co.uk/teams/)
## Premier League season
The 2026–27 Premier League fixtures were released on Friday 19 June 2026, with the opening round set for Saturday 22 August 2026.[11](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4673099/the-202627-premier-league-season-officially-starts) Bournemouth's campaign began a day later, away at Manchester City on Sunday 23 August. Bournemouth led for much of the match before a late City comeback, with Tavernier scoring in the 84th minute and Gvardiol in stoppage time to make it 2–1.[5](https://as.com/us/futbol/asi-marcha-la-premier-league-tras-la-jornada-1-de-la-temporada-2026-27-f202608-n/) A 1–1 home draw with Everton followed in matchweek 2.[12](https://as.com/us/futbol/asi-marcha-la-premier-league-tras-la-fecha-2-de-la-temporada-2026-27-f202609-n/) Later in the autumn, [Bournemouth](https://www.edgepedia.org/bournemouth) surrendered a winning position as [Brentford](https://www.edgepedia.org/brentford) fought back to draw at the Vitality Stadium.[6](https://englishleague.net/club/bournemouth)
The heaviest early result came on 10 October 2026, a 5–1 defeat at Chelsea in which Bournemouth conceded twice inside the opening four minutes. Defender Adrien Truffert called the scoreline a fair reflection of the performance and said the squad would have to keep its heads up over a long season.[13](https://www.afcb.co.uk/news/2026/october/10/truffert--we-weren-t-at-the-races-tonight/) By mid-October, Squawka's Expectation Index had Bournemouth 16th in the table on 12 points, rated as underperforming relative to expected points.[14](https://www.squawka.com/en/features/squawka-expectation-index-premier-league-2026-27/)
## Europa League
Bournemouth opened its first European campaign with a 2–1 away victory over [Real Sociedad](https://www.edgepedia.org/real-sociedad), Justin Kluivert and Rayan scoring inside the first 20 minutes.[6](https://englishleague.net/club/bournemouth) The win came at a cost: Rose confirmed that Kluivert suffered an injury in that match and would be sidelined for "some weeks".[15](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/13279286/bournemouth-transfers-latest-news-rumours-and-gossip-live-updates-goals-and-highlights) The Independent noted that Bournemouth began the competition as fourth favorites for the trophy, behind only [Leverkusen](https://www.edgepedia.org/leverkusen), Juventus, and Milan.[1](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/bournemouth-europa-league-real-sociedad-milan-b3051377.html)
## Outlook
Pre-season assessments centered on squad depth and the transition from Iraola to Rose. The Guardian's writers' average predicted a 13th-place finish, down from the previous season's sixth, and noted that Bournemouth scored nine goals from Opta-defined counterattacks in 2025–26, the joint most in the Premier League.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/11/premier-league-2026-27-preview-bournemouth) Supporters' representatives said a mid-table Premier League finish would be respectable given the extra European fixtures, while describing a trophy, even a European one, as feeling achievable.[9](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/16/premier-league-fans-previews-our-club-by-club-guide-to-2026-27)
## References
1. [From Boscombe to the Basque Country: How Bournemouth became one of the smartest clubs in football, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/bournemouth-europa-league-real-sociedad-milan-b3051377.html)
2. [Iraola bows out with legendary status as Europa League awaits, AFC Bournemouth](https://www.afcb.co.uk/news/2026/may/24/match-report-v-forest/)
3. [Gulf Times sport pages, 15 April 2026 (Iraola departure)](https://www.gulf-times.com/pdf/2026/04/15/sport-20260415-1.pdf?ts=010959)
4. [Premier League 2026-27 preview No 3: Bournemouth, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/11/premier-league-2026-27-preview-bournemouth)
5. [Así marcha la Premier League, tras la Jornada 1 de la temporada 2026-27, AS USA](https://as.com/us/futbol/asi-marcha-la-premier-league-tras-la-jornada-1-de-la-temporada-2026-27-f202608-n/)
6. [Bournemouth: fixtures, results and news in English, englishleague.net](https://englishleague.net/club/bournemouth)
7. [Bournemouth in Europe: Bournemouth's history makers on their European bow, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/we-need-to-enjoy-every-moment-the-excitement-of-playing-in-europe-and-having-those-fixtures-is-an-incredible-problem-to-have-bournemouths-history-makers-on-their-european-bow)
8. [Bournemouth 2026-27 season preview, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/bournemouth-have-waved-goodbye-to-andoni-iraola-but-will-they-continue-to-build-upon-the-fine-work-he-laid-down-bournemouth-2026-27-season-preview)
9. [Premier League fans' previews: our club-by-club guide to 2026-27, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/16/premier-league-fans-previews-our-club-by-club-guide-to-2026-27)
10. [Teams, AFC Bournemouth](https://www.afcb.co.uk/teams/)
11. [The 2026/27 Premier League season officially starts!, Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4673099/the-202627-premier-league-season-officially-starts)
12. [Así marcha la Premier League, tras la Fecha 2 de la temporada 2026-27, AS USA](https://as.com/us/futbol/asi-marcha-la-premier-league-tras-la-fecha-2-de-la-temporada-2026-27-f202609-n/)
13. [Truffert: We weren't at the races tonight, AFC Bournemouth](https://www.afcb.co.uk/news/2026/october/10/truffert--we-weren-t-at-the-races-tonight/)
14. [Squawka Expectation Index: 2026/27 Premier League](https://www.squawka.com/en/features/squawka-expectation-index-premier-league-2026-27/)
15. [Bournemouth transfers, latest news, rumours and gossip, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/13279286/bournemouth-transfers-latest-news-rumours-and-gossip-live-updates-goals-and-highlights)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Seasons and editions › Club seasons › English Premier League club seasons › 2020s club seasons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license