Club Brugge parts ways with coach ahead of Arsenal Champions League tie

On Monday, Club Brugge revealed that they are separating from head coach Nicky Hayen and appointing ex-manager Ivan Leko in his place, just two days before their home Champions League match against Arsenal.

Hayens departure comes due to the teams disappointing league performances, marked by three losses in the last four games, including a recent 3-2 defeat to Sint-Truiden on Saturday.

This setback pushed the Belgian title holders down to third in the standings, five points off the pace set by Union Saint-Gilloise and one point behind Sint-Truiden.

The side is also facing challenges in the Champions League, accumulating only four points from five fixtures with a solitary win, a strong 4-1 success over Monaco in September, which has them sitting 26th in the table.

After one and a half years in charge, during which he guided the club to the domestic crown last season, Hayen makes way for Leko, who has been at the helm of Gent since the campaigns opening.

The 47-year-old, a former Croatian international with 13 caps, made 98 appearances for Club Brugge and claimed the Belgian Cup in 2006-07. He previously led the team as manager to league victory in 2017-18.