This Thursday, Tubize-Braine will host RSC Anderlecht in what is “not just a gala match,” warns Drazen Brncic. The coach of the Brabançon club has prefaced this encounter, which carries the aroma of a potential upset for the Mauves.
Tubize-Braine, or rather the Royal Union Tubize-Braine in its full name, is one of the few clubs in D1 ACFF or VV (formerly Nationale 1, formerly D1 Amateurs…) still in contention in this Croky Cup. The Sang & Or, spiritual heirs to the AFC Tubize we once knew in D1, have drawn the jackpot: not only a top-flight club from D1A, but also the honor of hosting RSC Anderlecht at their own stadium.
A match that everyone in Tubize is eagerly anticipating… which could play tricks on Drazen Brncic, the former successful coach of RFC Liège, who is also well known from his time at RWDM and Seraing, and has been in charge of RUTB since November 2023. “We played a rather mediocre match in Rochefort… and I believe it’s due to this upcoming Cup match,” he candidly tells us ahead of the round of 16.
“It’s human, and I can’t blame my players: the match against Anderlecht was in the back of their minds. There was a lack of intensity out of fear of getting injured ahead of this special match,” points out Brncic, who obviously didn’t appreciate this. “I indicated at halftime that I wanted to see something different, and in the second half, it was already better. Also because some players came off the bench and brought in intensity… perhaps to showcase themselves for the Cup (laughs).”
For Drazen Brncic, a match against Anderlecht is, of course, special as well, but the challenge is to maintain that intensity in D1 ACFF. “Football is the most selfish collective sport in the world, and one of my goals as a coach is to fight against that. I would like my players to be just as motivated by a match in Rochefort as they are for a match against Anderlecht. But it’s inevitable, of course; I can’t blame them,” reflects the Croatian coach.
The difficulty also lies in the fact that Tubize knows where the priority is, namely in the league. “Of course. It won’t be the same team on Thursday as in the league. My role is not to please everyone in these circumstances, even though of course, everyone wants to play this match. It’s up to them to complicate my task at the time of making my choices. This match against Anderlecht is a reward for all the work done during the season.”
But it is not just a “gala match,” the Brabançon coach insists: “We know there are two divisions of difference and that it remains Anderlecht, the absolute top. But it’s not impossible, even if it would take a miracle.” The poor form of the Mauve & Blanc also suggests that it might be the best time to face them… but Drazen Brncic thinks the opposite.
“I would have preferred they… won in Bruges, to be honest with you (laughs). Because maybe at that moment, they would have come to us more relaxed. Of course, they are professionals, but it was more likely that there would have been some relaxation after a victory in Bruges. Given their recent results, this Cup match takes on even more importance for them,” he analyses. “They will want to make amends. It’s not such a good thing for us.” The answer will come this Thursday evening!
