Friend and former teammate Julian Coles says goodbye to Berger Jensen: ‘So energetic and wonderful goalkeeper’ | Berger Jensen passed away

“I’ve known for a while that things aren’t going well with Berger. But when you hear about his death, it’s still a blow.” The news reached Julian Coles, a friend and former teammate of Berger Jensen at Club Brugge. “In our glory years together at Club Brugge, Berger was one of my best companions,” said former Golden Boot Julian Coles. “Between 1975 and 1978 we became champions of Belgium three times in a row, but Berger really made a name for himself in the European campaigns with the club.”

Blauw-zwart played two European finals in that period as Liverpool turned out to be very strong. in 1976 in the UEFA Cup and in 1978 in the UEFA Cup. “On the way to the first European Cup final in 1978, I remember Berger stopping us several times. In the quarter-final against Atlético Madrid, he saved a penalty, among other things. In the end we lost the final 1-0 to Liverpool at a crowded Wembley.”

“For Berger, playing at Wembley was the most important of all. Playing in that legendary stadium meant everything to him. That evening we went out together in London, with Berger’s brother. That was a boxer. We’ve been through a lot.”

In those early years at the Club, Jensen formed a close relationship with the Cools. “We were always in the same room on European trips or during training camps in Austria under coach Ernst Happel,” Coles recalls. “We were constantly joking and joking around. We also shared the same taste in music. For example, we were both fans of ABBA, and then we would sing those songs in the room.”

“I actually only have good memories of Berger. He was a real energetic, but also a very good goalkeeper. He even dared to care show up on the field. Then he threw a ball backwards or something. If Berger was around, You can always expect something.”

In recent years, however, the connection has become poor, in part because Berger Jensen’s health has gone the wrong way. “The last time we saw each other was at a meeting of the club’s former players at the Weinebrugge Hotel. But that was before Corona. I haven’t seen him since then, but that doesn’t diminish my sadness today. For me, he remains one of Club Brugge’s greatest icons and we will miss him.”