Bournemouth owner Bill Foley vows to bring Champions League football to Vitality Stadium

Bournemouth owner Bill Foley has reiterated his ambition to bring Champions League football to the Vitality Stadium and believes the club can challenge for the Europa League title this season. The Cherries are preparing to host seven-time European champions AC Milan on Thursday in what will be only their third continental fixture.

Having taken control of Bournemouth in December 2022, Foley has overseen their transformation from Premier League survival hopefuls into a club competing on the European stage. However, the American billionaire insists that their progress represents only the beginning of his long-term ambitions.

Speaking exclusively totalkSPORT, Foley expressed excitement about welcoming Milan to the south coast while insisting that Bournemouth should not consider themselves underdogs. "Little old tin pot Bournemouth playing AC Milan," he joked, reflecting on the club's remarkable rise through English football.

"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 believes Bournemouth have the quality to compete for the Europa League trophy, although he stopped short of predicting outright success. He also outlined his intention to establish the Cherries as regular contenders for European qualification through consistent Premier League performances.

My number one ambition is to win a major trophy and number two to qualify for the Champions League," he declared. "We have to do it consistently, by being numbers seven, six, five, four in the Premier League.

Bournemouth's progress has been remarkable considering they began the 2008-09 League Two campaign with a 17-point deduction and faced serious financial difficulties. The club have since established themselves in the Premier League and are now experiencing European competition for the first time.

Foley also expressed confidence in manager Marco Rose, who replaced Andoni Iraola during the summer. The German recently secured his first Premier League victory against Sunderland, with Foley praising his approach to managing players.

He's empathetic, but he's also very demanding, Foley explained. The Bournemouth owner believes continued investment in facilities, recruitment and player retention will help sustain their development."