Club Brugge opens its campaign in the Champions’ Play-Offs next Monday with a derby against Cercle Brugge. This will be Nicky Hayen’s official debut as interim head coach. In the meantime, the board is looking for a new T1 for next season.
As is known, the people of Bruges said goodbye to Ronny Deila at the start of the international match. The Norwegian had been at the helm of Blauw-Zwart for less than a year, yet his dismissal had been coming for some time. The performance was substandard, the relationship with the board soured and, above all, the results, in their own country anyway, were disappointing.
The fact that Club did not say goodbye to Deila earlier was due to circumstances. After all, at this stage of the season it is not easy to appoint a suitable successor. Trainers who are doing well at their current clubs do not just leave, others prefer to wait and take steps during the preparation.
Search for new coach
Ultimately, the board decided to intervene after all and an internal solution was found for the short term. For example, Hayen, who comes over from Club Nxt, will complete the season as interim head coach. In the meantime, the club management is already busy with the recruitment process of a new T1 for next season. And for this purpose various routes are followed.
For example, on Tuesday it became known that there are contacts with Ruud van Nistelrooij. The former top striker is currently without a club after leaving PSV last season despite solid results. But he is not the absolute top candidate. According to various sources, that role is reserved for Karel Geraerts.
Geraerts on the seesaw
The former Blauw-Zwart midfielder was already in the picture at the end of last season after his excellent performances at Union SG. But then Club chose Deila. And in the meantime, Geraerts started working at Schalke 04. However, that stumbling block could soon disappear. So reports VI through BILD that Geraerts increasingly has to fear for his job in Gelsenkirchen.
Not only are the results disappointing, Schalke is only 14th in the second Bundesliga, but there are also struggles within the dressing room. Just this week, experienced force Timo Baumgartl was removed from the squad after a dispute with the coach. If things go wrong again next weekend against Karlsruher SC, Geraerts could fly. In that case, Club seems to have free rein.
