Club Brugge v Antwerp preview | Nicky Hayen Eyes Final Showdown: ‘We’re One Point Away From the Double’ | OneFootball

As Club Brugge prepares for a decisive final day in the Jupiler Pro League, coach Nicky Hayen addressed the media with a mix of focus, realism, and cautious optimism. Brugge must beat Antwerp and hope that Union SG drops points against AA Gent to snatch the title.

As reported by Sporza, Hayen isn’t dwelling on hypotheticals. “First of all, we have to do our own work. That is to finish that match against Antwerp.”

While Brugge’s fate partly depends on AA Gent, who no longer have anything tangible to play for, Hayen expects them to take the match seriously. He said: “As an athlete you just want to win every match, or at least make a good impression.”

The situation echoes the 2022 finale, when Brugge denied Union a title on the last day. Hayen noted the irony: “Our supporters wanted Union to become champions two years ago. We simply did our sporting duty then.”

This time, it’s Club Brugge hoping for help elsewhere. Hayen knows emotions in the stadium will shift based on updates from Union’s match. “You will always feel a certain disappointment or euphoria in the stadium.”

Regardless of how the title race ends, Hayen believes Brugge has had an excellent run and remains calm about what could happen on Saturday. “As always, we are calm and serene. If it does not work out, then it is over and I will send everyone on holiday on Monday” (HLN).

With a Belgian Cup win, a strong Champions League showing, and possibly finishing just a single point behind the league winners, Hayen sees no reason to call the season a failure. “If you get stuck at one point, you can hardly speak of a failed season.”

Still, Sunday won’t be without its challenges. Injuries and suspensions mean that several key players—Kyriani Sabbe, Chemsdine Talbi, Romeo Vermant, and Hugo Siquet—will miss the match. But Hayen remains unfazed. “We never hid behind excuses. For every suspension or injury someone else was there.”

Kick off is at 18:30 CET

GBENeFN | Samuel Fabre