Club Brugge qualify for Champions League with resounding win over Rangers
Club Brugge have qualified for the league phase of the Champions League for the second year in a row. After last week’s 3-1 victory against Rangers in Glasgow, the team sealed the deal at the Jan Breydel Stadium on Wednesday evening, dispatching the Scottish side 6-0.
Club Brugge kicked off the second leg with a comfortable 3-1 lead from last week's game in Scotland. If the Glaswegian club had any hope of qualifying, that was erased in the first eight minutes, after an early 1-0 and a red card for Rangers' Max Aarons. Brugge secured victory and qualification with four more goals before half-time and one shortly after the break.
For manager Nicky Hayen, the manner of qualification – 9-1 over two legs – was especially satisfying.
“We are the ones who made it an easy game. From the very first seconds, the players executed the plan perfectly, and by half-time we were already five goals up. That shows the focus and hunger of this team,” he said.
Rangers manager Russell Martin apologised to the fans for the team's performance. "It was humiliating and painful," he said in a post-match interview. "I'm very sorry they had to witness that."
European jackpot
This is the 12th time Club have reached the group stage of Europe’s most prestigious club competition. It underlines the club’s international consistency: in the past nine seasons, they have been in the Champions League seven times. Last year, participation generated more than 60 million euros, revenue that other Belgian clubs can only dream of.
The club from West Flanders joins Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise, who qualified directly, meaning Belgium will have two representatives in the Champions League for the first time since 2019. The draw takes place on Thursday evening in Monaco, with Club in pot two and Union in pot four.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO KURT DESPLENTER
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