Tough in their own country, smooth in Europe: Club Brugge achieves a forfeit victory against Besiktas and is close to group victory

Tough in their own country, smooth in Europe: Club Brugge achieves a forfeit victory against Besiktas and is close to group victory

Difficult in our own country, smooth in Europe. Club won with their fingers in the nose against Besiktas – no easy feat – and is close to winning the group. Maybe it doesn’t even have to end there.

Dreams are a deception, according to Marco Borsato, but we highly doubt whether the Dutchman is a reliable subject. Well then: can Club Brugge win this Conference League?

It seems like a ridiculous question, given the malaise in the Jupiler Pro League – not even in the top six and mediocre football -, and yet it is not. Once the people of Bruges hear a European hymn, there is a transformation. Extreme makeover, Club Brugge edition.

The exponent was Igor Thiago, a striker by profession, and then you have to score goals, which is too rarely possible in your own country. Thiago immediately scored two against Besiktas. At 0-2 he completed a nice attack, the 0-3 came after good pressure from Balanta.

Football is a strange game. Against Cercle and OH Leuven, the Bruges finish stalled, now it was 0-4 in minute fifty – you read that correctly. Club defeated Besiktas, not a team full of scrappers after all. Colley, Oxlade-Champerlain and Aboubakar, among others, played.

At half time we sat with Abdoulay Diaby, who has a past with both clubs and is now with Pendikspor, in the presidential lounge. The Malian commented: “This Club has quality.” It’s that we don’t see it enough…

Photo: BELGIAN

Twee assists Skoras

Club apparently likes Besiktas. In 2015, it qualified for the quarter-finals of the Europa League at the expense of the Turks, then in the Atatürk Stadium. Besiktas now plays in a brand new temple – one that Club and every Belgian top club yearn for, not least Bart Verhaeghe -, but the value ratios were now even more emphatically in favor of the people of Bruges than eight years ago. On the sidelines, Ronny Deila stood relaxed with his hands behind his back: he enjoyed it.

Before an hour had been played, the Norwegian allowed Thiago to replace the applause – the 1,000 fans who accompanied him sang lovingly to him. It will be good for the Brazilian: he definitely has his limitations, but also his assets. If he scores, he is more than valuable.

It was a match in which Club gained collective confidence. Apart from Thiago, the defense held up well, Nielsen made it 0-1 with a solid (but sustainable) long shot and Skoras provided two assists.

We should not take the trajectory of blue-black in Europe for granted. In the preliminary rounds it met tough opponents such as Aarhus and Osasuna, in the group stage it was – excluding that unfortunate draw against Besiktas – flawless. Agreed, it is not the Champions League, but if that were to be the benchmark, nothing is still good enough. While, in all seriousness, Club has simply done an excellent job. If only it was that way more often during the appointment.

Tough in their own country, smooth in Europe: Club Brugge achieves a forfeit victory against Besiktas and is close to group victory

Photo: REUTERS

No more excuses now

There have been doubts within the club in recent months. Unrest, at all levels – from the grassroots to the boardroom. The opposite would be bad. However, the staff has always been convinced that everything would turn out well.

For the record: things have not ‘turned out well’ yet – the gap to leader Union is too great for that. But Club is still competitive in three competitions, which was the minimum target in the summer. If you look at it this way, the balance isn’t dramatic.

It is now important for Club to continue this good trend. The core is gradually returning to full strength – the infirmary is emptying – and Deila’s principles should really be known by now.

In that sense, there are now no more excuses: the volatility has to be eliminated, it now also has to be done against Standard, Zulte Waregem and Mechelen boenk. Club cannot simply throw away all the good things in Turkey. Only then can you gradually speak of a recovery.

The only disappointment of the evening was the – albeit expected – victory of FK Bodø/Glimt against Lugano, which means that the group win is not yet a certainty. Or no, there was something less, namely (again) Zinckernagel’s performance. Can his starting position still be justified? If it depends on us…

Finally, a sentence from Borsato: “Every once in a while, dreams come true.” It is still far too early and the success is so very fragile, but would you bet your house on Club not being able to win a European Cup? We do not.

The final is in Athens…

Tough in their own country, smooth in Europe: Club Brugge achieves a forfeit victory against Besiktas and is close to group victory

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