BRUGES (Reuters) – Club Brugge coach Carl Hoefkens challenged his players on Tuesday to keep showing a hunger to win in the Champions League, even if the Belgian surprise package have already made sure of progress to the next stage.
Club Brugge have collected 10 points out of a possible 12 from their first four matches in Group B and are guaranteed a top two finish after unexpected performances that have taken them further in the competition than they have ever been before.
“This campaign is not a dream, it is reality,” the rookie coach, who took over at the start of the season, said during a news conference.
“We have already played many matches the way I want to see them played. And we want to continue to do so. Now we must show the hunger to continue. A number of boys still have a chance at the World Cup, so they must continue to show themselves,” he added.
Brugge upset Porto with a stunning 4-0 away success in mid-September, but the Portuguese club have come back to win two successive matches in the group over Bayer Leverkusen to move into second place in the group
“They have a special way of playing and I like their style. It’s going to be a tough game,” the coach said. “I expect an eager Porto: they have to win and get a result.”
While Club Brugge will take top place in the group if they avoid defeat, Hoefkens said he was prohibiting his players discussing anything but trying to win the game.
“The importance of winning the group? The next game is always the most important for us. Group win or the possible opponents in the next round: my players are not allowed to think about that yet. We just want to win against Porto, that must be the attitude of my players.”
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Mike Harrison)
