The board of Club Brugge is currently faced with a particularly difficult choice and must appoint a new trainer for next season. Will Nicky Hayen gain confidence after his excellent work as interim coach? Or do people prefer an external option à la Karel Geraerts?
A year ago, the Bruges club management decided to place the sporting fate in the hands of Ronny Deila. But his appointment ultimately turned out not to be a good choice. The Norwegian had to retire the day after the regular competition. U23 coach Hayen was then temporarily appointed as T1 of the first team.
And the former figurehead of STVV is currently performing far beyond everyone’s expectations. Under his reign, Club has secured a ticket for the semi-finals of the Conference League and Blauw-Zwart is once again fully competing for the national title. There is therefore increasing speculation about a permanent appointment.
Hayen or Geraerts?
However, the board does not want to get ahead of itself. “It is still too early to draw major conclusions. We are not going to suddenly change our plan,” CEO Bob Madou said last week. But of course people will not remain blind to Hayen’s performance, especially if he actually wins prizes.
However, other candidates are also being considered. Not least Karel Geraerts. The former midfielder was already in the picture last season and in recent weeks it has been reported several times that he is again at the top of the list. This week he also stated that there are no guarantees for next season at his current club Schalke 04, despite an ongoing contract.
Clarity in mid-May
However, a final decision is not until tomorrow. Geraerts’ focus is currently on the four remaining matchdays in the 2.Bundesliga, in which he also wants to mathematically ensure Schalke’s retention. The people of Bruges do not want to ruin the good flow of the last few weeks by making early decisions and especially waiting for the rest of the season. According to La Dernière Heure However, clarity regarding the situation at Geraerts and/or Club Brugge can be expected by mid-May.
