Club Brugge vs Arsenal twist as manager sacked in surprise move with statement

Club Brugge have sacked head coach Nicky Hayen and appointed Ivan Leko as his replacement just 48 hours before the Belgian giants face Arsenal in the Champions League

Club Brugge have axed head coach Nicky Hayen and brought back Ivan Leko as their new boss in a surprise move at the Belgian outfit - just two days before their Champions League showdown with Arsenal.

Hayen had been at the helm at Brugge since March 2024, guiding them to the Belgian Pro League crown in his maiden campaign and securing both the Belgian Cup and Belgian Super Cup.

But after enduring four defeats in six matches and consecutive league losses, Brugge have now decided to dismiss Hayen ahead of Wednesday's encounter with Arsenal.

They have immediately replaced Hayen with Gent boss Ivan Leko, who had only been appointed at the Belgian rivals in the summer and had claimed eight victories from his 19 fixtures in charge there.

In a statement, Brugge announced: "Club bids farewell to Nicky Hayen as head coach. Ivan Leko replaces him as head coach of Blauw-Zwart. Club would like to sincerely thank Nicky for his hard work during the recent period and wishes him all the best for the future."

Hayen's overall record at Brugge was impressive. The 45-year-old had notched up 61 victories and 20 defeats from his 101 matches in command. That delivered him a success rate of nearly 60%.

However, a recent slump in results, which has seen them slip to third in the Belgian top flight and tumble to 26th in the Champions League standings, has prompted Brugge to make a managerial switch.

Leko is poised to leap straight into the hotseat and oversee Wednesday's home clash against Arsenal, despite only steering Gent to a 3-0 thrashing at Royal Antwerp on Sunday.

The 47-year-old former Croatia international, who earned 13 caps for his country during his playing career, previously took the reins at Brugge between 2017 and 2019. Throughout that stint, he clinched the Belgian Pro League title and Belgian Super Cup, notching up 53 wins and 24 draws across his 99 matches in charge, boasting a 54% success rate.

On Saturday, Brugge suffered a 3-2 reverse at STVV - a setback that proved the last straw for the club's boardroom, with Hayen's dismissal confirmed on Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Arsenal will be eager to recover from their first loss since August, following a last-gasp 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday. Despite Leandro Trossard equalising Matty Cash's opener to restore parity for the Gunners, Emiliano Buendia struck a 95th minute winner for Villa.

Despite the setback, Arsenal remain at the summit of the Premier League table, holding a two-point advantage over second-placed Manchester City and sitting three points clear of Villa in third spot, having secured 10 victories from their opening 15 league encounters. In the Champions League, the Gunners have maintained a flawless record, claiming maximum points from all five matches in Europe's premier club tournament.