The Belgians want to experience a historic moment this Thursday by winning direct qualification for the next round of the Conference League, but they will have to overcome the Basaksehir obstacle.
The top-8 of the Conference League group stage is within reach for Cercle which will host Basaksehir. However, the club, which is struggling in the JPL, has not lost sight of its first objective: “The two competitions are as important as each other”, thus indicates Hannes Van der Bruggen to Sporza.
The latter evokes a “rather relaxed” atmosphere in the group, on the eve of the last Conference League group match. Le Cercle are currently number 7, and have a chance to enter the coveted top-8, synonymous with a direct ticket to the 1/8 finals: “We have already made history. Everything we can do Plus now it’s a bonus.”
Balance is hard to find
“We are very motivated to reach the top-8. In itself, it is a memorable event. We have to work for it in a relaxed way without too much pressure, and that is the case. It is not every year that Cercle is playing Europe and a place in the top eight would be improbable. We would never have dared to dream of that before.”
If things are going well in Europe, they are however difficult at national level. Le Cercle is only 15th: “The balance is difficult to find. It is true that the championship matches are perhaps a little more important at the moment. It is a small shadow on the picture of our European adventure. And for me, both competitions are important,” admits Van der Bruggen.
