Then no European final for Club Brugge: late penalty from Fiorentina ends the fairytale

It had been so beautiful. On May 29, en masse to Athens for the first Bruges European final in 32 years. It wasn’t supposed to be.

CEO Bob Madou had received the lineup in advance from coach Nicky Hayen, he said on Instagram. He noted that Club would play with… twelve. It was not a lie: the supporters of Jan Breydel were at the meeting. Olympia seethed.

Andreas Skov Olsen was not there. He suddenly felt pain again and gave up. A loss – a good Skov can make the difference.

There was constant tension in the stadium. Every time Fiorentina’s came near the box, the fans held their breath. It happened several times before the break: it took a good Mignolet, the crossbar and a bit of luck to avoid a goal. Those Florentine opportunities only came after Club had taken the lead. Who else than Hans Vanaken made it 1-0. He lifted the ball towards the penalty point, where De Cuyper caused confusion, but not a deviation. The goalkeeper was surprised.

The boards were in balance due to Vanaken’s goal, after the score had become 3-2 in Italy. Due to the home advantage and the flow of the game up to that moment, things looked good for Club. Fiorentina never threatened before the 1-0.

Kouamé on the crossbar

That changed after the visitors fell behind. Mignolet had to make the save when Gonzalez appeared in front of him. There were a few more hot positions. Kouamé came closest to 1-1: his shot exploded on the goal post and just missed the goal.

On the other side, Club could have made it 2-0. Thiago pushed through on the right and passed it back to Skoras, but he was unable to get a shot off. Halfway through it was 1-0, it promised to be a nerve-wracking affair anyway.

Odoi, who played a strong game, missed the 2-0: he could head freely, but did not decide within the frame. Afterwards Fiorentina took control of the match. Club couldn’t get out and couldn’t keep the ball up front. The people of Bruges seemed to be at their best from the hour on. This way it would be difficult to reach the final.

Fiorentina emphatically looked for the 1-1. Biraghi curled a free kick onto the crossbar. During the next phase, Kouamé hit the crossbar. Hayen has a rabbit’s foot, there is no other way. It was women and children first, Club groaned

It was a countdown to the 1-1, but it didn’t happen for a long time. It was a miracle. Or a reward for the effort? Club continued to fight.

Final offensive

And then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, the ref pointed to the spot. There had been contact between Mechele and Nzola, yes, but it seemed strict. The VAR looked into the violation and did not consider it necessary to intervene. Penalty for Fiorentina.

With only a handful of minutes left on the clock, Beltran did not miss (1-1). Club now had to score to force extra time.

Hayen brought Nusa and Nielsen. Jan Breydel prepared for a final offensive. Vanaken made it 2-1, but Club didn’t get any further.

Club can be proud of the course in Europe. It completed three preliminary rounds, was dominant in the group stage and then beat Molde and PAOK. The supporters enjoyed it, they dreamed, but Fiorentina was too strong.

Was it really a penalty?

Photo: BELGA