Yves Vanderhaeghe becomes head coach of KV Kortrijk for the third time. Remarkable, when we remember his last two departures from the Stade des Éperons d’or. But why did the Kerels make this choice?
Yves Vanderhaeghe started his head coaching career at KV Kortrijk in the summer of 2014, when he took over from Hein Vanhaezebrouck. He had previously worked six years as an assistant coach at the club and was well familiar with the workings of the West Flanders club.
After a successful period with the Kerels, Vanderhaeghe disappointed Kortrijk in 2015 by joining a geographical rival, Ostend. Remember, Marc Coucke had come to pick him up personally with an offer that he could not refuse, which had not been well received by the Courtraisians, to whom he had promised to stay.
Later he moved to La Gantoise, where he once again succeeded Hein Vanhaezebrouck. At Ghent, he initially enjoyed success, but after inconsistent results and a heavy defeat against Racing Genk in October 2018, he was sacked by management.
Kortrijk angry… then Vanderhaeghe angry
In November 2018, Vanderhaeghe returned to Kortrijk for a second spell as head coach. And although he achieved an 8th place finish in his first season, the team dropped to 11th place the following year. After disappointing performances and the prospect of a non-renewed contract, he was fired in January 2021 and replaced the same day by Luka Elsner. This disappointed the former defensive midfielder.
Obviously, Vanderhaeghe was up for returning to Kortrijk, but why did the club come back to him again? The reason is simple. The 54-year-old coach is known for his ability to quickly change a team’s mentality. The football won’t necessarily be better, but they will fight. And that’s what the KVK needs right now: blood, sweat and tears.
His expectations are high in terms of physical parameters, both in training and in matches. In Kortrijk’s current situation, quality will not be enough, but commitment and character can. And that’s where Vanderhaeghe excels.
Attention players
As a player, he reached the pinnacle of Belgian football. When his transfer to Anderlecht was announced, no one believed in him. But he had the most successful period of the last 25 years. And there he was. By his character…
This is what the Kortrijk board of directors is banking on, who want to see a fighting team, regardless of the result. A warning to players: those who do not join his project will be left behind. A performance of 8 kilometers covered during a match will not be accepted.
