Brugge fire Hoefkens despite stirring Champions League run
FILE - Brugge's head coach Carl Hoefkens during the Champions League Group B soccer match between Club Brugge and FC Porto at the Jan Breydel stadium in Bruges, Belgium, on Oct. 26, 2022. Club Brugge fired its coach Carl Hoefkens on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022 despite a stirring run in the Champions League that landed the Belgian club in the knockout phase of Europe's top club competition. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Geert Vanden Wijngaert]
BRUSSELS (AP) — Club Brugge has fired coach Carl Hoefkens despite a stirring run in the Champions League that landed the Belgian club in the last 16. Hoefkens was let go because of disappointing domestic results highlighted by a Belgian Cup exit last week and lackluster play in the league, where it trails in fourth place. No new coach was announced. Brugge beat Atletico Madrid, Porto and Bayer Leverkusen during its surprisingly strong run in group play and now meets Benfica for a place in the Champions League quarterfinals in February.
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FILE - Brugge's head coach Carl Hoefkens before the group B Champions League soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Club Brugge at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, on Oct. 12, 2022. Club Brugge fired its coach Carl Hoefkens on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022 despite a stirring run in the Champions League that landed the Belgian club in the knockout phase of Europe's top club competition. (AP Photo/Manu Fernaandez, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Manu Fernandez