Club Brugge can almost touch the national title, but it cannot lose on the final day against Cercle Brugge on Sunday. Marvin Ogunjimi and Jens Naessens know how much pressure comes with such a title match. And that it can end well, but it can also go wrong. Sporza Daily listened to both experts.
Marvin Ogunjimi over Genk-Standard (2011)
If Club Brugge beats Cercle Brugge on Sunday, they will end the play-offs with 26 out of 30, something that only Standard achieved in 2011.
That Standard then missed out on the title on the final day. Marvin Ogunjimi, striker at Racing Genk, was there.
“Standard was in the winning flow, just like Club Brugge now. Everything they touched turned to gold. We, on the other hand, were the team of the regular competition. In the play-offs we had a more difficult time.”
Standard made full use of its experience, with Defour, Witsel, Van Damme, Mangala, etc. “We actually had a good year almost by chance,” Ogunjimi outlines.
“But with Frank Vercauteren we had someone who knows what he is doing. He tried to maintain a relaxed atmosphere as much as possible in the run-up, although at the same time he also made it clear that this was the match of the year. Focus, but not overfocus. “
It was a match full of emotions, but even more so because of Carcela’s injury.
Marvin Ogunjimi over Genk-Standard (2011)
Crucial to the course of the match, and therefore also the title, was the chilling injury that Mehdi Carcela suffered. The Moroccan almost single-handedly revived Standard during the play-offs.
“If he had stayed standing, things might have turned out differently,” Ogunjimi admits. “It was a match that was already full of emotions, but even more so because of the injury.”
Standard nevertheless took the lead and were virtual champions. “But Vercauteren ensured peace on the sideline. We only needed one goal.”
It was the two super talents from Genk who stood up: Kevin De Bruyne provided the ingenuity for Kennedy’s equalizer, Thibaut Courtois kept his team straight in the final phase with some miracle saves. “He showed there: within 10 years I will become the best in the world.”
Jens Naessens about Anderlecht-Zulte Waregem (2013)
It ended well for Genk, but not for Zulte Waregem. Jens Naessens had to win with the latter club on the final day of the 2012-2013 season against competitor Anderlecht.
“We had nothing to lose. We went into isolation with the feeling: anything is possible. That’s why everyone was quite relaxed. And that’s how we played,” Naessens remembers.
“It was a very boring match, but we scored first, just after half-time. That was a very good moment.”
Naessens thought for a moment that his header would be the hero who would give Zulte Waregem the title. “But after that goal we lost ourselves a bit in our enthusiasm. The euphoria was too great. We lost the ball three times in quick succession. You could see that we lacked experience there.”
Anderlecht’s equalizer, from Biglia, came barely 2 minutes after the 0-1. “There was disappointment, but in the end it became pride. We drove by bus to the Waregem market, where we experienced unprecedented scenes for a team that had actually lost.”
On to Sunday: how does a football player experience the title match day?
On Sunday we will know the new national champion in our football. Club Brugge has the best credentials, but Anderlecht and Union also have a chance of winning the title. How do you live up to such a title match? Just like going to any other competition or are your nerves extra high? Marvin Ogunjimi won the title on the final day with Racing Genk in 2011. Jens Naessens narrowly missed out in 2013 with Zulte Waregem. The two explain what is going on in the dressing room before the crucial match.
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2024-05-24 15:42:37
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