3 Year Deal: Marco Rose Brings A Taste Of The Bundesliga To Bournemouth

Klopp got off to an impressive start, and the club won promotion in 2004 through the play-offs. The following season, they earned a place in the UEFA Cup by winning the Fair Play award—the club’s first taste of international competition. Rose showed characteristic dedication by following the ‘Nullfünfer’ back to the 2. Bundesliga at the end of 06-07, despite losing his mentor to BVB.

After 8 significant seasons at the south-west based club, Rose dropped down to Mainz 05 U23s for a final season as a player before becoming assistant manager, then manager, in the fourth tier.

The 1.87m athletic and combative defensive all-rounder enjoyed a good reputation as a player. South Africa international Delron Buckley, who played alongside Rose for three seasons, said, “Marco was not just an outstanding defender, he was a good and supportive friend, someone who helped me a lot to integrate in my early time at Mainz.”

His coaches, Jurgen Klopp and later Thomas Tuchel, undoubtedly influenced his eventual move into coaching when he became manager of Mainz 05’s U23s after a final season as player-manager in the Regionalliga Südwest.

For his first full coaching position, Marco joined a club with a really good reputation for talent development. Past players from the record Austrian champions’ academy include Erling Haaland, Kevin Kampl, Dominik Szoboszlai, Naby Keïta, Konrad Laimer, and Sadio Mané. As coach of the U18s, the now-Bournemouth manager won the national U18 title. Most impressively, the following season he led the club to their first European title: the UEFA Youth League.

Having demonstrated his ability, he caught the eye of Borussia Mönchengladbach, by then something of a sleeping giant in German football, their last silverware, the 2. Bundesliga title, more than 10 years in the past. The young manager, who was quickly gaining a reputation for nurturing young talent and executing aggressive, fast-paced football, led a side including top international talents Yann Sommer, Ramy Bensebaini, Marcus Thuram, and Stefan Lainer against all odds into the top 4, and the Champions League.

A pandemic-hit 20-21 season started well, but following Rose’s announcement of an agreement to succeed Edin Terzić as manager at Dortmund, the atmosphere declined at the club. The Rhineland-based side crashed down to 8th, out of European competition, and what’s more, painfully behind newly-promoted Union Berlin.

For only the second time ever, following Peter Bosz from Ajax in 2017, BVB paid a multi-million fee to secure the release of a manager. The anticipation ahead of the Leipzig-born coach’s arrival was at a very high level. Rose, who was famed for the same ‘heavy metal football’ that Jurgen Klopp brought, was expected to restore the fortunes of the ‘Schwarz-Gelben’.

Rose identifies and secures some impressive transfers, including Jude Bellingham, now-captain Emre Can, and Karim Adeyemi. Dortmund played attractive football and kept pace with Bayern for much of the season, but ultimately missed out by an eight-point margin.

The results in European competition are far from impressive, though. The side gets knocked out in the first round by Glasgow Rangers—a second-tier European competition BVB has managed to avoid in all but five previous seasons.

The real issues are unfolding behind the scenes. The previous manager, Edin Terzic (a former West Ham and Besiktas assistant), never actually left—he just moved into the technical director role. For most observers, there’s a constant sense that Borussia are keeping their options open. By season’s end, that’s exactly how it plays out.

The club’s uncharacteristic defensive frailties, conceding 52 goals, and a high injury rate are of concern. Not since 1981-82 had the club relied so heavily on one player—then Manfred Burgsmüller, now Erling Haaland. The team feels more like a group of individuals than a team. The sacking and replacement with Terzic is described by Deutsche Welle as “the death of Rose’s career” and deemed “ruthless” by Bild Zeitung.

Opportunity comes knocking within a short space of time. Rose takes over from Domenico Tedesco at RB Leipzig.

Back in his hometown, the grandson of former Germany international Walter Rose leads the East German side to their first piece of silverware: the DFB Pokal. Much to the chagrin of many neutral Bundesliga fans, RB finishes in a respectable third and challenges all the way.

Despite signing a contract extension, RB finishes seventh in 24/25, well out of contention even for the Conference League—disappointing for a side with a squad value only £90m less than eventual Deutsche Meister Bayer Leverkusen. A side that includes Benjamin Henrichs, Ridle Baku, and Xavi Simons, three of that season’s best players.

Rose was sacked in March, also due to poor results in European competition, where the side crashed out in the league phase. Although they reach the DFB Pokal semifinals and maintain an admirable 56% win rate. Rose also makes strong signings, including Loïs Openda.

Fast forward to the present, over the past year, the German coach has been linked with AC Milan, Rangers, Manchester United, and Tottenham.

Replacing Andoni Iraola at Dean Court, however, is what it turns out to be. The Cherries are perhaps a smaller club than Rose might have been expected to sign for. However, the environment at Dean Court offers not just a highly stable, well-funded, and well-supported one, but also the chance to lead a talented young side into potentially their first-ever season in Europe.

What Marco Rose brings is, importantly, the experience not just in improving sides and taking lesser teams to top-five finishes but also in securing silverware.

His high-pressing, attacking, high-tempo football feels like a style that will bring out the best in the South Coast side.

The last word falls to the current manager. Speaking to Sky, Andoni Iraola underlined the new arrival’s suitability: “I really like German football because as a spectator I love it when things happen.” Iraola continued: “I like that football where the player does everything. The attackers press as defenders, central defenders drive forward, and hold the last line. It is very complete and tactical football, that’s why I liked Rose’s Gladbach—you could see that it worked well.”

For now, the eighth-placed side have five games left to secure a European place. As for the former BVB manager, he now has a three-year deal to prove his worth in the English game.