Marco Rose returns to familiar territory as Bournemouth head to Austria for a 10-day pre-season camp. The former Red Bull Salzburg boss, who won league titles and reached a Europa League semi-final there, will oversee friendlies against St. Pauli and Augsburg ahead of the Cherries' historic European
Ahead of the 2026/27 season, AFC Bournemouth have confirmed they will travel to Austria for a 10-day pre-season training camp between July 20th and 30th as Marco Rose prepares for his first campaign in charge.
Based near Salzburg, the Cherries will use the trip to step up their preparations for the new Premier League season and the club's maiden Europa League campaign, with Rose returning to familiar surroundings after previously coaching at nearby Salzburg.
The camp will also provide Bournemouth with their first taste of football on the continent ahead of a n historic season ahead. Whilst there have been previous, more glitzy trips to the USA in previous seasons, the experience of travelling, training and competing in a European setting should offer valuable preparation for the demands that lie ahead.
With the Cherries set to discover their Europa League opponents when the draw is made on August 28th, Marco Rose will be hoping these early steps in Austria help lay the foundations for a memorable first campaign in Europe.
The idyllic city of Salzburg - FlickrBournemouth will play the first two matches of the Rose era during the trip, taking on German sides FC St. Pauli on Friday, July 24, before facing FC Augsburg on Thursday, July 30, with both games kicking off at 4pm local time at the Saalfelden Arena.
Rose's return to Austria carries added significance, with the country playing a pivotal role in his rise as one of Europe's most highly regarded young coaches.
After joining Red Bull Salzburg's academy in 2013, Rose enjoyed remarkable success at youth level, culminating in UEFA Youth League glory in 2017 before being promoted to the first team. Across two seasons in charge, he won back-to-back Austrian Bundesliga titles, lifted the Austrian Cup and guided Salzburg to the Europa League semi-finals, establishing his reputation for an energetic, high-pressing style of football.
Thiago Pinto and Bill Foley will undoubtedly be hoping that success in Europe will translate to the Cherries own campaign when they navigate competitive football overseas for the very first time.
The Cherries will spend 10 days based near Salzburg, facing FC St. Pauli and FC Augsburg in pre-season friendlies, with the head coach's intimate knowledge of the region and its facilities expected to prove invaluable. The trip represents something of a full-circle moment for Rose, returning to the place where his managerial career truly took off as he begins a new chapter on the south coast.
It is understood the Cherries are expected to arrange a further three friendlies before the competitive campaign begins, one of them potentially against Mainz. All friendlies will be away from home to to the ongoing development work at Vitality Stadium.
Tickets for the Austrian fixtures go on sale at 6pm (BST) on Friday, June 26, priced at €12 for adults and €5 for under-14s, with under-sixes admitted free unless seated in the grandstand.
The club have also revealed that the development squad and under-18s will head to Oliva Nova in Alicante between July 18 and 25 for their own training camps.
