FC Bruges could be the biggest surprise of the Play-offs in the Champions League Celebrate and move into the round of 16. The Belgians narrowly won the first leg. Either way, the club is well there – especially financially, the “blue -black” runs.
The team from Coach Nicky Hayen, to a certain extent, minimalistic: With three wins (1-0 in Graz, 1-0 against Aston Villa and 2: 1 against Sporting Lisbon) and two draws (1-1 in Glasgow and 0-0 against Juventus Turin) reached the traditional club The play-off round as 24th and thus last. The “Club Bruges” won the first leg of the qualifying round 2-1 against Atalanta Bergamo – but that was not really convincing.
Controversial penalty leads to victory
Because only a very controversial penalty in added time brought the 19-time Belgian champion to enjoy a home victory against the Northern Italians. And Bergamo presented itself more strongly in the Champions League. The current third of Italian series A missed the direct entry into the round of the last 16 in the premier class and delivers rifle festivals against YB Bern (6: 1) and against Sturm Graz (5: 0).
In addition, the team from Gian Piero Gasperini in his ninth season as a training officer from FC Barcelona away from a much attention. The bottom line is that FC Brügge has the advantage of home win in the first leg, but needs luck and skill to end up against Atalanta.
Above all, skill in the transfers
The association has been proving that Bruges can always handle money well with money. Unlike on the coaching chair, where Hayen is currently the sixth coach within three years, FC had great continuity in the management at FC for many years. From 2011 to April 2024 Vincent Mannaert was responsible for transfer policy and prepared the club a real event.
Players like Antonio Nusa, Igor Thiago or Odilo KossoUnou were bought for medium -sized single -digit million amounts, made better and then released for 20 – 30 million euros. They also worked very profitably when the players Lois Openda and Charles de Ketelaere Trained in order to then satisfy the desires of good European. Openda has now landed via Lens in Leipzig, de Ketelaere is 37.5 million euros (Source: Transfermarkt.de) Mannaert’s record sales.
| Player name | bought for € (year) | Sold for € (year, club) | Transfer balance |
|---|---|---|---|
Lois Openda | Own youth (2018) | 15.39 million (2022, RC Lens) | 15.39 million (to RB Leipzig for 40 million) |
Charles de Ketelaere | Own youth (2018) | 37.5 million (2022, AC Milan) | 37.5 million |
Odilo Kossounou | 3.85 million (2019) | 23 million (2021, Bayer Leverkusen) | approx. 19 million |
Antonio Nusa | 5.7 million (2021) | 28 million (2024, RB Leipzig) | approx. 22 million |
Alex. Skov Olsen | 6.4 million (2021) | 14.Mio. (2024, VfL Wolfsburg) | approx. 7.5 million |
Igor Thiago | 11 million (2023) | 33 million (2024, FC Brentford) | approx. 22 million |
Roman Jaremtschuk | 17 million (2022) | 2 million (2024, Olympiacos Piraeus) | -15 million |
The manager has now been recruited by the Belgian association, and his successor has been since spring 2024 Dévy Rigaux. Rigaux was in the leadership for eight years and knows the club from the Effective. His competence and networking to South America are widely recognized in the country of King Philippe.
Around 120 million euros Transfer surplus
Rigaux wants to continue Mannaerts outstanding work. His purchases (UA Christos Tzolis from Fortuna Düsseldorf for 6.5 million in the summer of 2024) work – but in winter 24/25 Bruges held back on the transfer market. In doing so, the transcourse of the past ten years should have accumulated to around 120 million euros.
Vincent Mannaert during a press conference
“The financial aspect is important, but it is not everything”the director told “Het Laatse Nieuws”, “We do not make transfers to play in the Champions League.” He made it clear the direction of the Belgian: Better to do so solidly than to want to get involved with a lot of risk on the stage of the very big ones and then fail to fail on excessive demands. You want to “Become a master and be active on three fronts”Rigaux continued. Squirrel tactics are probably called something like that.
Focus on the league and the coming year
The successful times of FC Bruges are longer. The highlight was certainly the final in the European Cup of the national champions in 1978, which was lost 0-1 against FC Liverpool. In 2025 you are happy to have survived the group phase. But do you expect “more”?
The experienced goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, under Jürgen Klopp in the service of FC Liverpool for a few years, was particularly annoyed by the mow draw In the league against VV St. Truiden. In the meantime, the gap to the KRC Genk (with the German coach and ex-Bavarian player Thorsten Fink) has grown to eight points.
“Loss of points between these big games, that shouldn’t happen”said Simon Mignolet afterwards “voetbalkrant.com”. “If we want to play in the Champions League again next year, we have to win these games.” The view seems more to the local league and the coming season.