When Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky dropped Abakar Sylla’s headed ball and clumsily guided it across the goal line, the Brugge fans at the Jan Breydel Stadium went wild. It was Sylla’s first goal for the Belgian side, and Hradecky’s mistake put Club Brugge on course for their first Champions League victory in nearly a year of waiting.
Starting goalkeeper Simon Mignolet screamed and jumped around the 18-yard box. Brugge fans chanted, proudly decked out in their familiar blue and black jersey. Anyone new to the Belgian football scene would not know that Sylla’s goal was a genesis of hope for Blau-Zwart.
A phase of ‘rebuilding’
In Brugge’s last campaign, Brugge had to play in a Group of Death with Manchester City, PSG and RB Leipzig. The adventure of the six games across Europe was miserable. Club Brugge’s 2-1 away win over Leipzig was the closest they came to experiencing happiness. They suffered a 5-0 loss to Leipzig and a 1-5 loss to City. Brugge barely managed to scrape off four points in the difficult group. Although Brugge might have failed in the Champions League, they played well in the Belgian domestic league, holding a respectable third place.
Just weeks after Club Brugge withdrew from the group stage, Phillippe Clement jumped ship for an attractive role as Monaco manager. Stuck without a permanent manager and disgraced by their tumultuous run in the Champions League, critics pointed to a rebuilding season for Club Brugge. It would be almost impossible to maintain a sense of continuity with a new manager at the start of the season.
However, miraculously, Brujas kept her form flawless. Alfred Schreuder stringed together victory after victory as a coach. Brugge struggled to finish second, securing a playoff spot. Brujas seemed to score at will and their defense was impenetrable. When it came time for the round-robin to determine who would secure a place in the Champions League, Brugge went unbeaten, winning the league title by four points.
In Schreuder’s 18 league games, he only lost one and drew three. Of course, credit also goes to midfield pairing Charles De Ketelaere and Hans Vanaken, who combined for 32 goals. However, the fact that Schreuder steadied the ship and led Brugge to a league title was unbelievable.
It was even more incredible when Schreuder left.
transition phase
“Club Brugge are Belgian champions, but with Carl Hoefkens replacing Schreuder as manager, this feels like a transitional season,” wrote The Guardian writer Jonathan Wilson. The fiery bite came seconds before it put Brugge fourth in the pack. Club Brugge fans shrugged.
Not only did their star coach Schreuder go to Ajax, but De Ketelaere went to Milan, with Club Brugge letting prolific goalscorer Bas Dost’s contract explain. The most recognizable faces of the team were gone, leaving nothing but a boiling pot of pessimism in Bruges.
Not only did the team look destined for another lackluster Champions League group stage, they were also shaky and inconsistent. They battled to a 3-2 win over Genk in a whirlwind start to the season, but lost 1-2 to perennial relegation contender Eupen just a few days later. Brugge’s season was shrouded in mystery, and only the Champions League group stage would dispel that fog.
“There is no way we can be happy with this result; we need to take this and move on,” Mignolet said after losing to Eupen. “Today we really don’t deserve anything more than what we have.”
get back in shape
Mignolet and Brugge advanced, winning four games in a row. One of their triumphs included a 4-0 thrashing of city rivals Cercle Brugge. “I think we are getting to the point where we want to be. Winning 4-0 before the Champions League starts is a huge confidence boost,” Mignolet said after scoring his first Bruges Derby win in over a year. “And if it happens against Cercle, well, that’s a plus for our fans.”
Bruges thrive in the Champions League
More than 21,000 Club Brugge fans howled with excitement at that Champions League debut against Bayer Leerkusen. Sylla scored to put the hosts ahead. The 1-0 on the scoreboard remained until the final whistle.
Bruges’ victory was a breath of fresh air in a polluted environment. The club took that momentum and ran with it. Four different players scored in Portugal when Club Brugge thrashed Porto, a club that reached the quarter-finals just two seasons ago.
Spanish star Jutgla scored a penalty to give Club Brugge the lead and from then on they never looked back. Kamal Sowah fired from close range early in the second half, Andreas Skov Olsen fired a wide cross and Antonio Nusa converted a through ball, ending the match with Brugge four goals ahead of Porto.
Inexplicably, Bruges’ dominance in Europe contrasted with the struggles in Belgium. A pair of shutout defeats at the hands of Standard Liege and Westerlo preceded a 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid. At this point, Club Brugge had nine points from three UEFA Champions League games. The club came close to qualifying for the knockout stage before conceding a goal in the competition.
Brugge secured that place in the round of 16 when he traveled south to the Spanish capital. Atlético launched its greatest weapons. Antoine Griezmann sought to destroy the back line of Brugge who had not yet seen a ball in the back of the net. Although Atlético managed 60% possession, 20 goal attempts in total and 12 corner kicks, Brugge held firm. In fact, Brugge had a shout out for four wins from four games when Tajon Buchanan fouled in the box. However, the VAR referee considered that no foul was committed.
However, Club Brugge made it to the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
Simon Mignolet’s heroics make the difference for Brugge
Simon Mignolet takes in a huge gulp of air, bouncing around the two stalls he’s confined to. Taking a deep breath, he lifts his large goalie glove before waving it around as if by magic. In fact, many have compared Mignolet to Gandalf. He is immovable and impenetrable. Mignolet is also one of the main reasons why Brugge has frustrated his opponents.
“You can never give up as a goalkeeper and then you can push your luck,” Mignolet confined after a tough 1-0 victory over hated rival Anderlecht. It has been his motto throughout the ups and downs of Brugge’s 2022 season, and it is the main reason why “Big Si”, as he is nicknamed by loving fans, is excelling on every field of play.
Before Brugge’s catastrophic collapse against Porto, Mignolet faced 21 shots on goal in four games. He saved at 21, giving him the third-most saves and clean sheets in the competition. He outclassed stars like Alisson, Ederson and Manuel Neuer, all while earning international praise for it. Even in Club Brugge’s loss to Porto, Mignolet saved 5 shots out of a total of 9 shots on goal.
“He deserves a statue [at the Jan Breydel Stadium]”, confided a member of r/soccer. As Brugge heads into uncharted European territory, Big Si will lead the way into a new era of Belgian football.
Mignolet and Brugge wrap up their successful group stage with a game at Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday at 1:45 pm ET.
