Hoefkens with acquisition Sowah.
Money time for Carl Hoefkens. After the necessary injection of quality in the last days of the transfer summer, Standard must make a major turnaround on the Eupen field on Sunday. “If the results do not follow yet, everyone can be alert for us.”
Despite his missed start (3 out of 18) at Standard, Carl Hoefkens appeared at his press conference on Friday afternoon in a remarkably good mood. The result of a successful final offensive at the summer mercato, in which Standard hooked four more big fish with Isaac Hayden, Moussa Djenepo, Kamal Sowah and Steven Alzate. “The end of the mercato was great,” said a satisfied Hoefkens. “I can only be happy with my current core. The places promise to be expensive. It was clear that we could use more quality. The club has done an excellent job in that area. Now our season can really start.”
Urgent results expected
This week, CEO Pierre Locht and sporting director Fergal Harkin expressed their full confidence in Hoefkens, but the Liège T1 also realizes that urgent results are expected from him from now on. “That’s the kind of pressure I like. When I look at this selection, I think we can build a very good team with it. Although we may still need a little bit of time because we have only been able to train once with the entire group. But if the results don’t follow yet, then it is only natural that everyone will be on their toes for us. That’s also allowed. I have no problem with that.”
Newcomers are entitled to play
Hoefkens no longer wanted to express his seasonal ambition before the start of the season – top six and a European ticket. “We’re going to take it game by game. That was indeed our ambition before the season, but we have fallen far behind. Now we will do everything we can to give chase as quickly as possible.”
Hoefkens can immediately count on his four newcomers for that pursuit against Eupen. Alzate and Sowah were already eligible to play, Djenepo and Hayden received their work permit in the late afternoon. Also participating again is Kostas Laifis, who was rehabilitated in the first team after he tried to force a departure earlier this summer by not showing up at the start of the preparation. “We had a good conversation. He has a chance to be in the selection on Sunday.”
“Remain a fan of Stef Peeters”
The coach also responded to the statement of Stef Peeters, who told HBVL in an interview earlier this week that Hoefkens was alone in his wish to bring the midfielder to Sclessin. “I am and will remain a big fan of Stef Peeters. But after consultation within the club, we made the choice to go for Alzate and Hayden. So we made that decision together as a club. I am still convinced that Peeters could have added value here, but I also expect the same from a player like Alzate.”
