What is changing behind the scenes at AFC Bournemouth?

Five new staff members are reshaping AFC Bournemouth's first-team operation as Marco Rose prepares for his first campaign in charge. The overhaul follows the departure of several members of Andoni Iraola's backroom team and brings Rose back together with coaches he previously worked alongside in Germany. The changes offer the clearest indication yet of how Bournemouth intend to preserve their high-energy identity while adapting it under a new manager.

What Is Happening

Bournemouth have assembled a substantially revised coaching group around Rose before the 2026/27 season. Marco Kurth has officially become assistant head coach, while Frank Geideck is working as assistant coach, Fabian Fredrich has been appointed technical coach and Patrick Eibenberger has joined as first-team coach.

Frederic de Boever has also arrived as head goalkeeper coach, with Charlie Philpott promoted from the academy to work as his assistant. The appointments were required after several members of the previous first-team staff left following Iraola's departure, including Tommy Elphick, Shaun Cooper and Pablo de la Torre, according to the Bournemouth Echo's account of the reshuffle.

Assistant head coach

A senior member of the coaching staff who works directly alongside the head coach on preparation, tactics and team management.

Technical coach

A specialist role that can combine analysis, planning, technology and tactical preparation.

High-intensity pressing

A style built around aggressively trying to regain possession quickly and then attacking at speed.

The Background

The strongest thread running through the appointments is familiarity. Kurth and Rose worked together at RB Leipzig from September 2022 until March 2025, a period in which the club won the DFB-Pokal in 2022/23 and the German Super Cup in 2023. Kurth had previously progressed through Leipzig's academy coaching structure after beginning his coaching career with Magdeburg.

Geideck also has an established working relationship with Rose. He was alongside him at Borussia Mönchengladbach, where the team finished fourth in the Bundesliga in 2019/20 and reached the Champions League last 16 the following season, before later joining Rose at Leipzig.

Eibenberger's connection stretches across several clubs. He previously worked with Rose at RB Salzburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig. At Bournemouth, his responsibilities include training organisation, athletic performance, session sequencing and involvement in set pieces.

The Latest Development

Kurth's formal appointment as assistant head coach has put the wider rebuild into focus. He had already been working with Bournemouth during pre-season in England and Austria before the club confirmed his role on 23 July 2026.

His arrival matters because the sources describe Kurth as sharing Rose's preference for high-intensity pressing, quick transitions and aggressive attacking play. Bournemouth had used a similarly energetic approach under Iraola, so the staffing choices point towards evolution rather than a complete stylistic reset.

Fredrich adds a different area of expertise. He spent 13 years at RB Leipzig after joining as a part-time assistant video analyst when the club were in the fourth division, eventually becoming head of match analysis. His background covers game analysis, squad planning, technology and strategy, giving Rose another familiar figure focused on preparation away from the touchline.

What It Means

For Bournemouth, the immediate significance is continuity during a major leadership change. A new head coach often brings different tactical demands, training methods and communication structures. By appointing staff who already understand Rose's methods, the club can reduce the amount of time needed for the coaching group itself to adapt.

Kurth's role is particularly significant because he is expected to help translate Rose's football philosophy into daily training. His experience includes more than 300 senior appearances as a player in Germany before moving into youth and senior coaching, while his previous partnership with Rose gives Bournemouth an established head coach-assistant relationship rather than a newly assembled pairing.

The practical question for supporters is how much the team's football will actually change. The stated emphasis on pressing and aggressive attacking suggests familiar principles, but the sources also indicate there will be adjustments under Rose. Those differences should become clearer as pre-season progresses and the new staff begin shaping training, set pieces and tactical preparation.

What Remains Unclear

The appointments establish the identities and responsibilities of much of Rose's coaching group, but they do not yet show exactly how Bournemouth's tactical approach will differ from the previous regime. The club's first matches under the new staff will provide the first visible evidence of any changes in pressing structure, transitions and attacking organisation.

It is also not specified in the supplied reports how duties will be divided in detail between Kurth, Geideck, Fredrich and Eibenberger on matchdays. What is confirmed is that Rose has surrounded himself with several coaches who have worked with him before, while Bournemouth have also promoted Philpott from their academy into the first-team goalkeeper setup.