The adventure of his life. Brecht Dejaegere (32) seemed to be on his way to a club close to home for a long time, but eventually moved to Charlotte FC in the United States. A duel against his great idol Lionel Messi awaits tonight: “Imagine his first defeat in the MLS is against Brechtje…” A conversation about the unexpected American Dream.
Brecht Dejaegere has always been one of the most approachable Belgian footballers – a dying breed that should be cherished.
Only last week it was less obvious to get the midfielder on the phone.
“I’ve been in three different time zones,” laughs Dejaegere. “I underestimated that factor a bit. First I flew from Brussels to Newark, then to Charlotte in North Carolina. After my medical tests and 2 training sessions, we immediately flew to Texas for a game against Houston. And now we are in Florida for a duel against Miami.”
Dejaegere is livin’ the fast life like many other Americans.
For those who have known the level-headed West Fleming for a while, this will undoubtedly come as a surprise. Dejaegere liked life under the church tower, close to his warm family.
Now he is suddenly 6,500 kilometers away. Without his pregnant wife Jana – she is no longer allowed to fly – and four-year-old son.
“Honestly: if you had told me this ten years ago, I would never have believed it. I was 28 when I extended for four years at KAA Gent and thought I would always play in my own country. After my period at Toulouse, where I knew three beautiful years, I told my broker that it could be something in France or Belgium again.”
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Not Emirates, but United States
Dejaegere’s name fell emphatically at Anderlecht and Standard, but then Charlotte FC from the MLS also came up.
“I refused their first proposal in May. My pregnant wife was under a lot of stress during that period – the transfer was not worth it for me,” Dejaegere tells the story of his choice.
“Meanwhile there was also an offer from the Emirates, where I could earn much more. And then Charlotte made an improved offer of 2.5 years plus option… After much consultation with my wife, we decided to go for it Not an easy choice, but sporting and human it was too good a challenge to pass up.”
There is even a separate department at Charlotte that cares about the players’ wives.
Brecht Dejaegere
Especially since Dejaegere has a preference for the States – he has been following the NBA and MLS closely for years.
“Moreover, I ended up in a very family club – it is very professional here. Everyone helps me a lot with my integration and there is even a separate department that takes care of the players’ wives. The bar is also high in terms of sport: Charlotte is a young franchise, but we want to quickly make our mark in the MLS.”
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Confrontation with idol
An ambition that suits Dejaegere like a glove. At KV Kortrijk (with the best season ever), KAA Gent (the first national title) and Toulouse (with promotion and cup win), our compatriot was invariably the protagonist in the best chapters of club history.
Who knows, the midfielder, who made his debut on Tuesday and was immediately important, could immediately write history in a few hours.
Because tonight a confrontation with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami awaits in the Leagues Cup (an international tournament with teams from the US and Mexico).
There is impatience in Dejaegere’s voice when he talks about the imminent meeting with his great idol – there is even a photo of the two in his living room in West Flanders.
“It tickles already,” he beams.
“It’s the best the game has ever played. In the Champions League with Gent, I always dreamed of a draw against Barca and Messi. When that didn’t happen, I thought it would never happen again. But then I played it twice against Toulouse and now again. Just unreal.”
Brecht Dejaegere with the artwork that hangs in his living room, on which he and Messi are standing.
But also a huge challenge. Since Messi arrived at Miami, the team has been racing past the opposition. The Argentinian phenomenon has won four matches with 7 (!) goals and an assist.
“Imagine his first defeat in the MLS against Brechtje…”, Dejaegere laughs.
“It is very hard in our group. For Charlotte, the match against Miami is a way to put us on the map: we will then come close to a prize and a place in the American Champions League. We must try to make Messi as good as possible. as a team. When he does have space – they always come – we will have to be lucky.”
And despite the time difference, the Dejaegere family will watch proudly from Belgium.
“My parents will normally get up with my brother to watch the game. Even though I’m alone in America, it’s a nice feeling that they’re with me in mind.”
It can only be motivating…
2023-08-11 14:06:15
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