Vitor Bruno gave Anderlecht’s players eight days off, a break starting with the three-week international window. The club sits fifth in the table, five points behind Club Brugge and Charleroi, six behind leaders Union SG and KAA Gent, after a convincing win over Zulte Waregem last weekend.
On the HLN Voetbalpodcast, Carl Hoefkens weighed in on the decision. He said he hasn’t “often” seen a coach hand out such a break, noted that it is “the coach’s responsibility”, but called the choice “odd”: for him, the international break is exactly the moment to train without the pressure of matches. He added that a shorter break might have suited him better, since a coach loses control of his players over such a long stretch. He summed it up like this: “In eight days, you could just as well go to Las Vegas.”
Checked. Eight days gets you a return flight, several nights there and some margin for jet lag. Nobody at Anderlecht has confirmed a trip to Nevada. Carl Hoefkens didn’t say a player was actually going, only that the time would allow for it.
“Silly question, but if the coach gives eight days off because the international break is exactly when you can train without matches, why not train? I read the quote three times. I think the answer is that rest counts as work too, they just don’t put it that way.”
Carl Hoefkens finished by acknowledging that Anderlecht’s players are improving and that Vitor Bruno’s vision is catching on in the squad.
It’s true, we checked: Voetbalkrant.
