What Southampton boss Tonda Eckert texted new Bournemouth manager Marco Rose | OneFootball

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert has revealed what he texted Marco Rose after the former Borussia Dortmund boss was appointed by Bournemouth

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert has revealed he has spoken to fellow German Marco Rose, who has been appointed by Bournemouth ahead of next season.

Andoni Iraola is leaving the Cherries at the end of the season, and Rose will hope to continue the stellar job the Spaniard has done at the Vitality Stadium.

Meanwhile, Eckert is vying to guide Southampton back to the Premier League, where they will clash with fellow South Coast outfit Bournemouth, should they win promotion.

The Saints can still finish in an automatic promotion spot in the Championship, although their most likely route to the top flight is via the play-offs.

Eckert's men sit behind fellow top-two chasers Ipswich Town and Millwall with two games remaining, and have a vital clash with the Tractor Boys this Tuesday.

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert reveals what he said to Marco Rose following Bournemouth appointment

Southampton's main rivals are Hampshire neighbours Portsmouth, but the St Mary's Stadium faithful will look forward to their clashes with fellow South Coast outfit Bournemouth if they are competing in the Premier League next term.

Meanwhile, the fact that the Cherries have been able to attract Rose to the Vitality Stadium dugout, following his notable stints in Germany with RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, and Borussia Monchengladbach, is a testament to the incredible work Iraola has done.

Bournemouth have put themselves in a strong position to qualify for a European competition, four years on from clinching automatic promotion from the Championship.

Rose's managerial achievements include winning the German Cup with Leipzig and two Austrian Bundesliga titles with RB Salzburg.

The Cherries would be delighted if the 49-year-old could steer them to their first-ever major trophy, which would provide a similar narrative to the FA Cup title Oliver Glasner lifted with Crystal Palace in 2025.

Meanwhile, speaking to The Athletic, Southampton boss Eckert said: "Another coach I like is Marco Rose. I texted him yesterday and told him, ‘Welcome to the south coast.’ He was a big inspiration and is a great manager."

Eckert has an important job of his own to complete, though, and victories over Ipswich and Preston North End in Southampton's last two league games could prove enough to win automatic promotion to the Premier League, should other results also go their way.

If the Saints fail to land a top-two spot, the German will instead have to emulate the Championship play-off success overseen by Russell Martin in 2024.

The St Mary's Stadium outfit's impressive FA Cup run this term has provided an early indicator that Eckert should be able to adjust to the Premier League more successfully than Martin did.

Southampton supporters must thank Johannes Spors for Tonda Eckert resurgence

Southampton endured a woeful Premier League campaign last term, finishing rock-bottom, having earned just 12 points from 38 top-flight fixtures.

However, the Saints still began the current season with aspirations of landing an immediate Premier League return.

Those aspirations seemed unlikely to come to fruition, though, thanks to the woeful start to the campaign the Hampshire outfit endured under Will Still.

Since replacing Still, Eckert has inspired Southampton to an incredible run of form, which has seen them go unbeaten in the Championship for 17 games.

Meanwhile, in his interview with The Athletic, the German revealed that it was his connection with Johannes Spors that brought him to St Mary's Stadium, initially as Under-21s boss.