Andreas Skov Olsen has been hailed as a potential champion-maker and Golden Boot candidate this season, but his performances have been too inconsistent.
In addition, there is growing tension between Skov Olsen and Club Brugge’s medical staff, raising questions about his commitment to the club ahead of the European Championship and his long-awaited move to a major league.
Skov Olsen: “It is with great pleasure that I stay in Bruges”
Andreas Skov Olsen kept Club Brugge in great suspense during the previous summer mercato. Vincent Mannaert took into account a possible departure of the Danish striker, while Ronny Deila was determined to keep him at all costs.
Club Brugge asked for at least 15 million euros for Skov Olsen and were fully aware that the Dane had one important wish: to take a step higher in their career. Skov Olsen had his sights set on his dream competition: the Premier League.
During the summer months, several English clubs, including Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Bournemouth, showed interest in Skov Olsen.
Club Brugge could have sold him for an amount between 12 and 15 million euros, but the club thought that – even after his horror season – was far too little for a player with his great qualities.
Due to disappointing performances at the World Cup with Denmark and injury concerns from the previous season, interested clubs did not want to bid higher for him. Bad luck for Skov Olsen, but Club Brugge was not disappointed that a player of his caliber still stayed at the club.
At the beginning of August, Skov Olsen indicated internally that he would postpone his transfer ambitions and stay in Bruges for another year. He had been aiming for a nice transfer for months, but chose to put it on hold for the time being.
“It is with great pleasure that I will stay in Bruges,” he said.
Skov Olsen puts things in order: “Golden Shoe material”
Andreas Skov Olsen wanted to put things in order this season by tackling his form crisis and the series of injuries that prevented him from reaching his best level last season.
At certain moments the Danish attacker came close to his absolute top form. He is seen as an attacker who is able to decide every match single-handedly and is intrinsically perhaps the best player at Club Brugge, and even the Jupiler Pro League.
The last news called him a potential champion maker. Niels Poissonnier, the newspaper’s football chief, describes the elegant Skov Olsen as a prima donna on pink studs.
“He is one with the ball. He accelerates with his fingers in his nose. And his left one is pure elegance.”
“As far as we are concerned, the Dane is Golden Boot material, a wonderful footballer,” said The newspapaer about the inimitable Skov Olsen.
Okon: “Skov Olsen is a footballer for the absolute top in Europe”
According to The newspapaer Vincent Mannaert had already compared Andreas Skov Olsen internally with Ivan Perisic and it is convinced that the Danish player, just like the Croatian at the time, has the potential to reach the European top.
A dream scenario beckoned for both parties. Club Brugge was eyeing the jackpot and could enjoy his qualities for another year this season. “A wow footballer. Class. Speed. His left one!”, said Wesley Sonck The last news.
“Golden Boot material. A kind of Robben,” added Marc Degryse. “Andreas should never play for Club Brugge. And I don’t say that out of a lack of respect for Club. Skov Olsen is a footballer for the absolute top in Europe,” said Paul Okon HLN.
“If Igor Thiago is worth thirty and more million, how much should Andreas Skov Olsen cost? the newspaper wondered.
Rollercoaster Skov Olsen: “As a coach it drives you crazy”
This calendar year has been a rollercoaster of achievements for Andreas Skov Olsen, with highlights of his immense talent and moments when he remained completely absent and invisible.
Sometimes he shines with his refined technique, with which he effortlessly controls even the most difficult balls. But then there are also moments when he completely disappears, as it were, melts away on the field.
“Is it phlegmatic or laconic? If it ends well, it is phlegm. If things go in the wrong direction, we call it nonchalance. Sometimes he lets himself be thrown off his game by a match fact that he doesn’t like. If the 24-year-old Dane can get his head around that, he can win the Golden Shoe and secure a top transfer,” he wrote. The newspapaer.
The morning shared a similar analysis, highlighting a lack of consistency and work ethic that prevents “the petulant artist” from taking on the role of club star. “In the club of ‘no sweat, no glory’ the wing attacker also figuratively cuts corners.”
“I also think he’s fantastic, but I think it drives you crazy as a coach,” said Steven Defour The last news.
Cold war between Skov Olsen and medical staff
Last week, Andreas Skov Olsen was highly uncertain for Club Brugge’s historic quarter-final in the UEFA Conference League against PAOK Saloniki. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his hip injury, he was still expected to travel with the team to Greece.
To the surprise of many, he left the Club Brugge selection to receive a second medical opinion about his injury in Copenhagen.
Although according to Nicky Hayen this departure took place by mutual agreement, reported The last news about a disagreement between Skov Olsen and the medical staff, a “cold war” that has been going on for more than a year.
While the medical staff, supported by imaging, found that Skov Olsen was slowly but surely becoming match fit, the attacker himself did not feel ready for battle. There must be a rush, otherwise we could have waited until Club was back in Belgium and then traveled via our country to Denmark.
“Club Brugge is concerned about Andreas Skov Olsen,” said The newspapaer.
“Skov Olsen did not understand team spirit and ‘togetherness’”
Andreas Skov Olsen has sidelined himself by showing his displeasure over a setback in his rehabilitation, which was also reflected in his upset reaction on Instagram, according to The newspapaer.
The last news noted that while there is no shortage of goals and assists, Skov Olsen has not understood team spirit and ‘togetherness’. Franky Van der Elst knows what Skov Olsen’s problem can occasionally be: the mental one.
“If someone walks there for two days with a long face, that is embarrassing.”
CEO Bob Madou mentioned that Skov Olsen wanted a second opinion from a Danish doctor, and he hopes this will reassure him and allow him to return to his best form at Club Brugge.
It seems that Club Brugge still has confidence in Skov Olsen and does not want to give up on him, despite his sulky behavior. The last news however, questions whether Skov Olsen will still be fully committed to Club Brugge in the coming month, given the European Championship and his possible transfer.
“His solo slim of the past few days does not suggest the best in that regard,” the newspaper said.
