Club Brugge suffered its first defeat under Nicky Hayen last Thursday, as they lost 3-2 to Fiorentina in the final phase. However, none of that stuck, as Club won 1-2 again on the Antwerp field in the play-offs on Sunday. With this they also took over the leading position from Anderlecht.
However, Hayen had made significant changes to his team at the Bosuil. He introduced no fewer than six new names. This will undoubtedly have to do with the fact that the second match against Fiorentina is coming up on Wednesday, but on the other hand, the wealth of Bruges is also enormous.
Sudden luxury problem under the bar at Club
In recent weeks, a luxury problem even appeared under the bar. Simon Mignolet recently returned from injury, but in the absence of the ex-Red Devil, double Nordin Jackers had exceeded all expectations. Hayen did not seem to be able to simply expel the loanee from OH Leuven from the team.
On Thursday, Jackers was preferred to Mignolet in Florence, who made his return under the bar on Sunday. There was also a good reason for this: Jackers had suffered a minor injury. And so the problem at Club solved itself.
Hayen’s approach is rewarded
“Hayen is being rewarded for his good approach,” notes analyst Alexandre Teklak La Dernière Heure. “He was not forced to make a choice. It was all settled naturally and not in a way that went against sporting logic. Because Jackers looked back on a good European performance.”
Teklak is therefore impressed by the way in which Hayen deals with his large core. “If there is loyalty and logic, then the trainer is not obliged to make choices: the choices then make themselves. In this case, no one will be disappointed, because Jackers loses his place fairly. Hayen might as well have had Mignolet before can prepare.”
