Are you worried ?
”No, we still have time. It’s a backlash, that’s for sure. But we have no choice: we must get back together.”
We saw a lot of frustration on your part, especially when your clearances were not intercepted.
”I'm not lying when I say that everything we worked on during the week didn't work in the first half. We were not up to the task. Just like in Bruges, we didn't know how to keep the ball in the team. We have to work on it and see why it is a recurring problem in away matches. We came back into the match in the second half and equalized. Then what happened happened. We might not have deserved the point but we would have been happy.”
Was there a penalty?
”I don't know what a defender can do when you shoot his hand from a distance of one meter. But the referee made his decision.”
Genk surprised you?
“No. We knew they would play like this, but we couldn't find an answer. We weren’t good enough.”
Should we remain favorites for the title? The pressure is on others.”
Anderlecht remains the number 1 candidate for the title?
”No, the pressure is on others. We were 11th last season. When you see the progress in one year… We had a good season.”
But would second place still be a disappointment?
”No one wants to finish second. We will fight to be first. We chase the others (Editor's note: Anderlecht was still first at the time of his interview) Losing matches during the playoffs are things that happen. This is not the end of the world.”
But you have lost two of the last four matches. When you won the title in 2016 with Leicester, you didn't lose the last 12 games, after the 2-1 at Arsenal.
”It's correct, and I remember this defeat which still hurts me. But the playoff system is different. We learn to deal with disappointments.”
Can your experience and that of Jan make the difference?
“Indeed. Elders must take responsibility and show young people the way to follow. We have done this in the past. We spoke at halftime. There was a reaction.”
Do you like the playoffs?
“That's exciting. We play football for these kinds of matches. How many champions were there in stoppage time in the last match of the 2023 season? Three ? That’s what makes football exciting.”
