Van Heisbrouck sets Antwerp FC on fire

Hein Vanhaezebrouck is the center of attention with rumors of a possible move to FC Antwerp. Speculation surrounding his future at AA Gent and Mark van Bommel's uncertain status at Antwerp only serves to fuel these discussions.

The previous flirtations between Vanhaysbrouck and Antwerp, along with interesting comments and incidents, add more fuel to the fire.

Vanhisbrouck to Antwerp? There was already some flirting going on

At AA Gent, the collaboration with current coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck appears to have come to an end. The only question is when. At the Antwerp club, the situation surrounding Mark van Bommel is also uncertain.

It seems that the ambitious Dutch coach is at odds with the financial reality of the club, which is forced to move at a slower pace. Van Bommel's enormous ambition could push him into the top competition after this season, which could leave the Antwerp manager's position vacant.

in mid mid It has been suggested that Vanhaezebrouck could switch to Antwerp FC following his departure from AA Gent. Janko Beckman wondered on the podcast what Vanhisbrouck should do next.

Sam Kerkhofs suggested Antwerp FC. “This position will become available, and some courtship has already occurred.” Beckman sees Vanhaysbrouck as coach and Marc Overmars as director of football forming a strong tandem at the Great Old. “They're football experts, so why wouldn't this work?”

D'Onofrio wanted to bring Vanhaezebrouck to Antwerp FC

In the past there have been many speculations about a possible collaboration between Hein Vanhaezebrouck and Antwerp FC. The coach was first linked to Great Old about five years ago, in April 2019.

At the time, then-coach Laszlo Poloni's position was largely unclear and uncertain. Christian Vandenabeele, then a defunct journalist sports/Football magazineHe saw Antwerp as a serious option for Vanhaysbrouck.

“Antwerp seems like an option to me, if Laszlo Boloni actually leaves there: an ambitious club that is growing with a West Flemish president.”

At the time, Vanhisbrouck was without a club following his agonizing sacking from Anderlecht a few months earlier. Afterwards, Luciano D'Onofrio confirmed that there was a good chance that Vanhaysbrouck would start working in Antwerp during that period.

The then RAFC technical director had an interesting conversation with Vanhaezebrouck, and the coach himself confirmed Antwerp's interest in him. At the time, Vanhisbrouck's situation did not allow him to immediately return to work as head coach, following his turbulent spell at Anderlecht.

Brisk Exit: Gheysens is a fan of Vanhaezebrouck

Two years ago, speculation arose again about the possible arrival of Hein Vanhisbrouck to Antwerp. At that point it was clear that the club would not continue with the then coach, Brian Briske, who had been mooted by Vanhaysbrouck as a possible successor to the Dane.

In the podcast 90 minutes Broadcaster Aster Nziyimana hinted at the time: “They are going to Heine (Vanhaysbrouck, ed.).” Committee member Sam Kerkhofs also did not rule out this option.

It was said that Paul Gysin had admired Vanhaysbrouck for some time and that the Antwerp president saw him as the ideal successor to Brisk.

Remarkably, Vanhisbrouck was also in a position when his contract expired, just as he is now.

Van Heisbrouck is causing a stir at Antwerp

On the other hand, there are also some sensitivities surrounding the appointment of Hein Vanhisbrouck as Antwerp coach.

In addition to the fact that AA Gent and Antwerp are two of the best Belgian clubs, Vanheesbrouck has not been particularly popular with Antwerp fans and the board in recent years.

In December 2021, Vanhisbrouck caused a stir by commenting on the goals of his rival Antwerp that season.

In a press conference, he noted that the Antwerp club had deliberately taken the Europa League and the Kroki Cup less seriously: “We can do like Antwerp: let ourselves get out of two competitions and then say ‘we will do our best to get the title in May,'” the statement said, quoting the coach in latest news.

Vanhisbrouck later apologized for the comment, saying: “I therefore apologize to my colleague Brian Brisk, his staff and the group but also to the management and fans of Antwerp.”

Van Heisbrouck mocks Antwerp fans

Even at the start of this season, Hein Vanhisbrouck did not enjoy any goodwill from Antwerp fans. During the match against AA Gent, the match was stopped due to a notable incident on the sidelines.

A fan collided hard with the roof of the visiting dugout in Ghent, causing the structure to collapse. This caused great surprise among the Ghent team. An attempt was made to repair the roof of the Visiting Bank, but this proved to be no easy task.

Vanhaezebrouck took this opportunity to throw a punch at the Antwerp crowd near the visiting bank.

“It's been worse than this. This is not the first time there have been problems here around visitors' seats. The people sitting there should think carefully or the club should think about who is allowed to sit there,” the coach was quoted as saying. . The newspaper.