Antwerp coach Mark van Bommel in extra time: “Toby doesn’t hit a ball like that anymore” | Jupiler Pro League

Last night, just before 8:30, Gilles Bataille put the ball ready for Toby Alderweireld. The captain catches it up beautifully against Genk (2-2). For the first time in over 60 years, Antwerp won the Belgian football championship.

“He doesn’t hit a ball like that anymore,” Mark van Bommel smiled at extra time.

A few days ago, the coach had practiced working with his team. “We came up with a scenario where we score a goal if it’s a draw or if Genk is ahead.”

“We wanted to give the players the structure in which Toby would play alongside Vincent (Jansen, ed.). The ball had to go diagonally to the side. From there they could continue playing football.”

The players executed the plan perfectly. Van Bommel did not dare to predict this. “The boys had something to catch on, but the ball fell like that…”

Scenario training took place on Friday. “For 10 minutes, we practiced it with the starting 11. We scored three times.”

Then Alderweireld did not register. Van Bommel: “No, Baliquesha and Jansen and Kirk, I think.”

Antwerp won the title after Hitchcock’s screenplay. A week ago, it was not possible to decide the championship at home against Al-Ittihad (1-1).

“Then I was in the hole,” admits Mark van Bommel. “My family had to talk to me for two days. I also knew we had a chance, but it just didn’t feel like it.”

“Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in training, this feeling returned little by little,” the coach continues.

“I should be setting the example, but I wasn’t setting the example Thursday. I was disappointed, too.”

The coach puts his players on top. He appealed to his many years of experience as a senior football player. “After the union I talked about the World Cup final (2010 against Spain, ed.). We lost that, we did that.”

“We got another chance in Genk.”

And that was taken over by Antwerp, in extra time.