Bournemouth legend Steve Fletcher emotional as Cherries prepare for first-ever European fixture

Bournemouth make history on Thursday when they visit Real Sociedad in the Europa League, becoming the first time the Cherries have ever competed in European football — a milestone that has left club legend Steve Fletcher openly emotional.

Fletcher, who has been associated with Bournemouth almost continuously since joining in 1992, told FourFourTwo that the occasion will carry enormous personal weight. “There will be a lot of emotion when we play that first game in Europe,” he said. “Personally, I’ll probably shed a tear and try to capture the moment as much as I can.”

The path to San Sebastián was far from straightforward. Andoni Iraola’s side went 11 league games without a win between October and the new year, leaving their European ambitions in serious doubt. The turning point arrived in dramatic fashion: Antoine Semenyo scored a 95th-minute winner in a 3-2 victory over Tottenham, a result made all the more striking by the fact that Semenyo completed his transfer to Manchester City just two days later.

From that night onwards, Bournemouth were unbeaten for the remainder of the season, eventually clinching sixth place and a Europa League berth.

“It was an incredible night,” Fletcher said of the Tottenham win. “You couldn’t write it for him to score that goal as well. It was such a relief to win, because we hadn’t won a game for a while. But even before that, despite not winning, our performances had been improving.”

Fletcher credited the squad’s mentality for sustaining the run, noting that the players managed to block out external noise and maintain focus as the pressure mounted. “We went into every game thinking we could get three points because the team was full of confidence. We actually performed better under pressure,” he said.

The celebrations at the end of the season left a lasting impression. “To finish in a Europa League place and celebrate on the pitch with the staff, players, everyone associated with the club and all the fans was incredible,” Fletcher added. “I don’t think it properly sank in until a couple of days later when I started going out on the streets and into supermarkets and restaurants, and people came to talk to me about it. The magnitude of what the club and that team achieved will live forever.”