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Club Brugge had no right to win title number 19 last season. The side ended the regular season 19 points behind league leaders Union St Gilloise. Even after the points were halved, they still had a huge mountain to climb. Yet, under then interim head coach Nicky Hayen, they put together an unbeaten play-off run that saw them pip Union to the title by a single point. Hayen has since been hired permanently and recently was awarded with the prestigious Raymond Goethals trophy, an award for the best Belgian head coach of the calendar year. He may well be eyeing another run at the trophy in 2025.
After a slow start to the season, Club are starting to build momentum. What is worrying for the other sides with designs on the title is that usually the side wait until after January to begin putting together a run towards the title. Under Hayen, however, they are starting early. They have won five on the bounce in all competitions, going unbeaten in 12 games. That includes three Champions League clashes, with wins over Aston Villa and Sporting CP either side of a draw away to Celtic. It is an impressive run of form.
This Sunday, they faced the side that appear best placed to challenge them for the title this season. Club lost the earlier clash with Genk near the start of the season, but were able to come out 2-0 winners thanks to a penalty save from Simon Mignolet. The veteran goalkeeper has already answered when called upon a few times this season. The gap from Club to Genk now stands at just one point, with Anderlecht a further four points behind Club.
It is starting to feel inevitable that this side, with such strength in depth, will have their hands on title number 20 next spring. Summer signings Christos Tzolis and Ardon Jashari have made a real difference, while striker Gustaff Nilsson has not even had much chance to contribute with an injury. Despite this, the side have still managed to win games without the man they signed in the summer to score the goals.
Club are already the second most successful side in Belgium, despite only winning one title before the 1970s. They dominated for much of the 70s and have been a force in Belgian football since the 1990s. Despite having won 19, they remain a long way off rivals Anderlecht. The side from Brussels have picked up an incredible 34 championships in their history, with the first coming at the end of World War II during the 1946/47 season. However, grabbing number 20 will at least bring Club that bit closer, while also extending their lead over third placed Union, a side who have not added to their 11 since 1935.
If Hayen can deliver number 20 and keep up the success in Europe, he will be odds on to grab the Raymond Goethals once again and begin making a real name for himself as a head coach at Club Brugge.