No to overseas Premier League games – Bournemouth owner

Bournemouth owner Bill Foley has expressed his opposition to any plan to play Premier League games outside England.

In an exclusive interview with BBC Sport in Santa Barbara during his club’s pre-season tour of the United States, Foley stated that he respects the game and its fans too much to support such an idea.

In May, FIFA announced it was forming a working group to assess the potential impact of playing competitive domestic matches overseas.

While the Premier League has previously stated it has no plans to participate, Spain’s La Liga hopes to stage games in the United States during the 2025-26 season.

Bournemouth is one of 10 Premier League teams playing pre-season games in the United States this summer.

“I believe what we are doing today – and there are other pre-season games – is what we should be doing,” said Foley.

“In terms of playing actual Premier League matches in America? We should play in the UK. That is where they belong. I am very respectful of our fans and the whole system. I wouldn’t want to be involved in changing any of that. I believe if you talk to our fans at Bournemouth, they think Foley actually respects our system and respects our heritage. And I do.

“Premier League games in America? No.”

Foley reportedly paid £120 million for Bournemouth in December 2022.

He made the controversial decision to sack manager Gary O’Neil in June 2023, despite the club finishing 15th. This decision paid off, as the team achieved a 12th-place finish last season under Andoni Iraola.

Bournemouth is part of a multi-club ownership model, with Foley’s Black Knights Sports and Entertainment group holding significant stakes in French club Lorient, A-League outfit Auckland FC, and Scottish Premiership side Hibernian.

Foley also discussed Bournemouth’s European ambitions and striker Dominic Solanke’s future after his impressive 19-goal Premier League campaign last season in his interview with BBC Sport.

“I believe Dom is going to be with us this coming year. He has a release clause, which is very expensive.

“We shouldn’t reveal anything about the contract but that area [reported £65m] sounds roughly correct. I guess if someone comes for him, we are going to have to replace him.

“We have two or three candidates that we have lined up. But I believe Dom will be here next year and I believe he is going to score 21 or 22 goals.”

“We have big aspirations, but we are patient. Our goal this year is modest. Can we move to the top eight or nine, maybe even sneak into Europe?

“Our real goal is to play in Europe, to give our players a chance to experience Europe and do it with little Bournemouth.”

“[European football ambition] is realistic because we are putting a great team together, with a lot of younger players. We are trying to be careful with how we do this.

“We are not a sovereign wealth fund or private equity. We are just simple little guys from America who came over and bought a team. We have a multi-club strategy so we promote players from Club A to Club B to Club C to Club D.

“We now have four clubs and we are about to acquire a controlling interest in another [understood to be in Portugal]. Our goal is to have similar coaching, similar playing styles and similar players that can progress through our system.

“It is not just going to be Bournemouth and a bunch of other teams. It is all designed to give the players a path to the Premier League. If we can do that, we should be able to be competitive and not have to kill ourselves financially. That will be our competitive edge.”

“He has been very unlucky in terms of injuries.

“We know the doctor he went to. He is one of the best back surgeons in America. I believe Tyler is fixed. It will be three months before he is playing with us, but once he starts, he will be phenomenal.

“He is a leader on the field, a no-nonsense guy. He is going to be a key number six for us, our defensive midfielder. When he can play, he is going to be a game changer.”