Ex-PL CEO: UEFA to 'bend over backwards' to help Bournemouth stadium plans

Uefa are willing to do everything they can to help AFC Bournemouth get their Vitality Stadium home fit to host Europa League football next term.

That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the Cherries already have plans in place that will be given “conditional approval” by the governing body.

This comes amid concerns that their home ground, which is the smallest of any team in the Premier League, does not have the media facilities required to host and broadcast European football.

The South Coast outfit will be playing on the continental stage for the first time in their history in 2026-27, but could be forced to play their home fixtures away from the Vitality if they cannot get the necessary upgrades in place.

Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Bournemouth will be working closely with the local council to ensure “constant reviews” as their project takes shape this summer.

This comes after the news that the Cherries have had plans to boost the capacity of their stadium to over 20,000 approved ahead of their European adventure.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness made it clear that UEFA want to do everything in their power to help the club get over the line in time.

“The main thing is the broadcasting areas which you need for European football and camera points and all those sorts of things. The Vitality, as we know, is very small and just hasn’t got those facilities,” he said.

“The plans have been put in place that they think can be given conditional approval by UEFA. I think they’ll bend over backwards to try and help Bournemouth if they can, and I’m pretty sure that they’re not going to let this chance go.

“I hope the work has already started and the Council is backing them in terms of constant reviews and being very quick with approvals. It’s not easy, but it’s a prize they’ve won. They’ve had UEFA inspection already in anticipation of European football, so they know what they’ve got to do, it’s just a case of getting it completed.

At today's BCP Council Meeting, with unanimous approval – AFC Bournemouth have been given the green light for the complete redevelopment and expansion of Vitality Stadium. pic.twitter.com/cbkWtGfVSB

“I hope Bournemouth can do it, but it’s going to take a real effort to get this done in the next couple of months.”

Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson told Football Insider last week that Bournemouth’s Europa League qualification has created a big “dilemma” for them next term.

The football finance expert suggested that the Cherries will need a significantly deeper squad in order to cope with the demands of a Thursday to Sunday schedule, but warned about how the revenue is distributed in the Europa League.

Borson outlined that clubs get around £35million for winning the competition, but failure to at least reach the final comes without any real significant boost to their coffers.

With that in mind, he suggested that leaves them with a “dilemma” as to how much they are willing to spend to add to their group, knowing that they may not see a return on their investment.

🍒 Don’t Miss a Beat: Your AFC Bournemouth Insider Access

Get the full story from the South Coast with our dedicated expert hubs:

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the Vitality Stadium.