Bournemouth races to upgrade Vitality Stadium for European debut

Bournemouth face a tight deadline to complete upgrades at the Vitality Stadium ahead of their first European campaign next season, after Uefa granted the club a provisional stadium licence pending infrastructure improvements.

Uefa officials met with Bournemouth in April to review the redevelopment project and identified deficiencies in hospitality areas and broadcasting facilities that must be addressed before the club can host European matches.

A Uefa stadium inspection and commercial operations team will visit next month, following Bournemouth’s historic qualification for European competition for the first time after Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City.

Club sources confirmed the plan is to use the Vitality Stadium for next season’s European fixtures despite its current capacity of 11,286, which is among the smallest in the Premier League.

Bournemouth have submitted plans for a phased expansion that would almost double the capacity to more than 20,000, starting with the demolition and replacement of the South Stand. The Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council planning committee is due to discuss the proposal on Friday.

That meeting was originally scheduled for 11 May, raising concerns about further delays to a project that has already been scaled back. The club initially planned to add about 1,500 seats by filling in gaps in all four corners before next season but reduced that figure to 800, focusing only on the north-west and south-east corners.

Bournemouth are not required to increase capacity to meet Uefa standards – Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt competed in the Champions League this season with a stadium holding 8,000 spectators – but must improve infrastructure to obtain a Uefa category rating.

Work scheduled for this summer includes creating a permanent outside broadcast compound, installing new perimeter fencing and turnstiles, and resurfacing the pitch.

Bournemouth are guaranteed at least a Europa League place but still have two potential routes to Champions League qualification. If Aston Villa win the Europa League final against Freiburg and finish fifth in the Premier League, the sixth-placed team would qualify for the Champions League. Bournemouth will secure sixth place if they avoid defeat at Nottingham Forest or if Brighton fail to beat Manchester United.

The club could also finish fifth on goal difference if they win and Liverpool lose at home to Brentford, though Liverpool’s goal difference is superior by six. The Premier League’s Champions League and Europa League qualifiers will enter the league stage next season, giving Bournemouth additional time to complete the stadium work.