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After the resignation of Carl Hoefkens (44), Club Brugge wants to present a successor as soon as possible. Who will be the man who breathes new reading into blue-black like Alfred Schreuder last year? Roberto Martinez has kindly thanked in advance.
(dvd, pjc, jve)
“This morning the collaboration with Carl Hoefkens was discontinued.” Club Brugge sent that message to the world at 10.30 am. And so we already recorded the tenth (!) trainer dismissal in the Jupiler Pro League this season. While we are only half way. CEO Vincent Mannaert briefly commented: “His contribution and commitment to Club NXT and as an assistant were greatly appreciated. His part in the successful Champions League campaign cannot be underestimated either. Our choices last summer, however, did not yield the desired level of play and result in the league and cup.”
Hoefkens had already been summoned to Bever Castle by chairman Bart Verhaeghe in the early hours, where he heard the bad news. However, he knew well enough that the board was already looking for a successor, so it was no longer a surprise. Afterwards he had contact with his assistants to say goodbye. They will stay on for the time being, but wait to see who the new trainer will bring.
Foreign candidates
Who will be the new trainer? At Club they had some names in mind, but not everyone is available. For example, Roberto Martinez was informally sounded out, but the national coach, who will see his contract with the Belgian Football Association expire in a few days, has indicated that he currently prefers a job abroad. No problem, however, because several (foreign) candidates have already been spoken to. The intention is to make the decision quickly, because training will resume on Monday and six days later there will be the crucial move to leader Genk.
Of course, all of Club hopes that Hoefkens’ successor can have the same effect as Alfred Schreuder a year ago. The Dutchman then took over from Philippe Clement and despite a difficult start, he got the grinta and the winning mood back into the team. The football was not spectacular, but blue and black took its third title in a row and qualified for the Champions League.
