Bournemouth owner Foley targets Champions League football and Europa League glory

Bournemouth owner Bill Foley has declared his ambition to win the Europa League and establish the club in the Champions League, while insisting the Cherries remain determined to retain midfielder Alex Scott. Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT, Foley made the remarks ahead of Bournemouth’s Europa League meeting with AC Milan at the Vitality Stadium on Thursday.

“It’s an honour but I don’t think it would be a surprise if we win. We deserve to win and I think we can go all the way,” Foley said. He added that his priorities were “to win a major trophy” and “to qualify for the Champions League”, stressing that sustained Premier League success was essential.

Foley also addressed Scott’s future after Bournemouth reportedly rejected a £64 million Chelsea offer during the summer. Despite interest from Chelsea and Liverpool, the owner said: “We’d love to have Alex stay here and sign a new contract and be part of this team for the long haul.”

On manager Marco Rose, Foley said: “Marco is a players’ coach. He’s empathetic, but he’s also very demanding.” Bournemouth hope their European progress and investment in infrastructure will help attract and retain top talent.