Yves Vanderhaeghe about his dismissal (and weak fries) in Saudi Arabia: “I’m so so so sorry, the chairman said”

“On Sunday we won very decisively against Al-Safa,” says Vanderhaeghe. “It became 2-0 and the opponent had 0.06 expected goals. That once again showed how stable we were – in twelve games we kept eight clean sheets. After the match, the chairman toured the locker room and it turned out that everyone was still satisfied. However, on Tuesday evening I received a message that I was expected at his office. I immediately knew what time it was, because the next day we would leave for an internship to Qatar. I’m so so so sorrysaid the chairman. (laugh) And when I told him that he is the boss after all, he said: No no, there are other men above me who decide on the trainer. Princes, sheikhs, I know a lot. I’ve never met those people. So there was nothing more that could be done. The next evening I was on the plane home again.”

Vanderhaeghe training at Al-Faisaly. — © X Al-Faisaly

Yannick Ferrera (43, Al-Riyadh) was also kicked out earlier. So it is true what Dimitri Davidovic, Georges Leekens, Emilio Ferrera,… had told us: Saudi Arabia is an even bigger trainers graveyard than Belgium. “Yes, I shouldn’t have been really surprised,” says Vanderhaeghe. “Last season they also threw out three trainers at Al-Faisaly. But it’s a shame, because we were doing well. We had already eliminated a first division team in the cup and were going to play against Benzema’s team. We were fifth in the competition. We may have been three points short, but that was mainly due to bad luck – a quick red card, a disallowed goal, that kind of thing. That’s why it was quite a shock when I was fired.”

Assistance from lawyer

What makes it extra painful is that Vanderhaeghe and his assistants Gino Caen and Wesley Deschacht are still waiting for a large part of their money. “It is true that they are football crazy there and invest a lot, but unfortunately also that they pay poorly. I worked there for four and a half months and was only paid for two months. The players too, by the way – even better that the atmosphere was still good. I wasn’t going to get rich from the job anyway – they didn’t have the budget of the top clubs there – but I do expect them to stick to our contract. So I will have to hire a lawyer, especially because communication is a major problem. In the entire club, only three people spoke proper English: two people at the secretariat and my interpreter for training.”

Vanderhaeghe in Saudi Arabia with assistants Gino Caen (center) and Wesley Deschacht (right).

Yet Vanderhaeghe looks back on his first foreign adventure with a good feeling – even as a player he always stayed in Belgium. “It was definitely a beautiful experience. There wasn’t much to do besides football, but I enjoyed that. I’ve only been back a week and my agenda is packed, while I was sitting there comfortably and watching a lot of football. It was a relief to have no obligations. I did miss my family, but they came to visit and got to know the country. They would never have gotten that opportunity otherwise. They did not notice any discrimination against women.”

Ronaldo seen

But Vanderhaeghe realizes that there is still work to be done in Saudi Arabia. Also in football. “They continue to falter in terms of lifestyle and professionalism. After the match we always faced a hellish bus ride and what were we served? KFC. Chicken nuggets and limp fries with a bag of ketchup. It was also not easy to train early, because because the players mainly live at night due to the warm weather, they were zombies in the morning. It was also disappointing in terms of attendance. I once went to watch a Ronaldo match, with 18,000 spectators, but we never had more than five hundred people. The club therefore paid enthusiasts to create the atmosphere with drums. Well, that was some good danceable music, you know.”

In Belgium, Vanderhaeghe was already T1 for KV Kortrijk, AA Gent, Cercle Brugge and (in this photo) KV Oostende. — © BELGIUM

But the Saudi swinging is over. Instead, Vanderhaeghe is exercising again. “On Sunday I ran again for the first time since my knee operation. Conditionally I am still a disaster, but now that I can play padel and tennis again, things will be fine.” Unless he can get back to work somewhere soon and it becomes more difficult to find free time again. And what if a new club from the desert comes knocking? “That’s negotiable, isn’t it? (smiles) There were already rumors of a few better teams. And whether I am a coach here or there, life as a football coach is just as uncertain. But I still hope to be able to write a very positive story.”

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