Southampton manager Ronald Koeman has revealed that he hopes Bournemouth can remain in the Premier League in order to increase the rivalry between the two clubs.
The Saints and the Cherries square off in the South Coast derby on Sunday afternoon, but Koeman has questioned the magnitude of the match given the lack of fixtures that have been played in recent years.
The 52-year-old is quoted by BBC Sport as saying: "In my opinion it's a derby - but maybe not the biggest one, because there's not a lot of history between both clubs.
"I hope that they will stay in the Premier League so that we will get a few years in a row to play against each other.
"Everybody will have more attention to the game, and that makes it a little bit more special."
Ahead of the weekend's fixtures Southampton sit in eighth place in the standings while Bournemouth occupy 17th spot, just two points above the relegation zone.
Written by
Darren Plant
Darren Plant
