Bournemouth (GNP): Bournemouth beat seven-time European champions AC Milan 3-0 in the Europa League on Thursday night, in only the club’s third European fixture. Justin Kluivert scored the opener at Vitality Stadium.
The goal carried extra meaning, coming 31 years after his father, Patrick Kluivert, scored the winner for Ajax against Milan in the Champions League final. Few Bournemouth fans could have imagined that famous name on their shirts when the club narrowly avoided liquidation in 2008.
Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan was sent off after 27 minutes, and that ended the contest. Bournemouth had been the better side before then, even though they have won only six points from seven league games this season while Milan are fourth in Serie A.
The win followed victories over Real Sociedad and Sturm Graz, and all three sides have played in the Champions League within the past three years. Milan also started three English players to the hosts’ two, which added to the unusual feel of the night.
Bournemouth’s run fits a wider pattern. English clubs played nine games in Europe this week and lost only one. Across the Europa League, Conference League and Champions League, Premier League sides have lost just four of 26 games this season, and Manchester United account for two of them.
Money explains much of this. Fifteen of last season’s 20 Premier League clubs ranked in the top 30 of Deloitte’s 2026 Money League. Premier League clubs earn more than £1.37bn a season from television rights, a figure that La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 could match only combined.
Spending adds to the gap. The Premier League set a new transfer record of £3.49bn this summer, and all but six of the 20 most expensive deals went to English top-flight clubs. Higher wages mean many overseas players now choose England, according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
That wealth shows in the finals. Last season Aston Villa beat Freiburg in the Europa League final with revenue more than double the Germans’. Crystal Palace won the Conference League with almost four times the revenue of Rayo Vallecano.
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The Champions League tells a different story. Over the past two campaigns, eight of nine English teams were knocked out by one of the big four of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain, according to Deloitte’s January 2026 report. Last season Chelsea, Manchester City, Newcastle and Liverpool went out by an aggregate score of 25-6.
Only Manchester City have lifted the trophy in the past five years, and only one English club has reached the last three finals. Arsenal lost last season’s final on penalties, which shows how close the Premier League’s elite are to the top.
For now, Bournemouth’s players are enjoying the moment. Midfielder Ryan Christie said, “It’s mega. In terms of the story of the club it’s ridiculous.”
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
