“The organization can be so strong that the coach only has to focus on the things he was hired to do.” This is what team president Bart Verhaeghe said immediately after the historic qualification against PAOK. But who is behind Club Brugge's lauded (and significantly redesigned) structure? Overview of support packages in blue and black.
At the end of 2023, he succeeded Vincent Manart as CEO of Club Brugge, thus ultimately being responsible for the day-to-day running of the club.
In the past, he has already held several important positions in the Belgian Football Association and in 2018 Maddou started working full-time at Club Brugge as Chief Business Officer.
There, the Bruges native impressed for his organizational and business acumen – Maddow launched, among other things, the famous Club Media House – and served as an important sounding board for the management duo Bart Verhaeghe-Vincent Mannaert.
Madou, an LO by training, lives about 2 kilometers from Jan Breydel and is known as a hard worker with an eye for trends and extensive file knowledge.
CFO since 2021. Read: The man who should monitor the club's financial situation. Additionally, as Head of Operations, he is responsible for the management of Basecamp in Westkapelle, The Nest in Roeselare and of course the Jan Breydel Stadium.
Laukens sits just below Madou in the hierarchy and is one of the heavyweights within the Blue Black as a member of the management committee.
Before turning to football, he made waves in major international companies such as… P&C, Retexyl, and Ontex.
Calmly take strong steps within the club hierarchy.
Rigaux was coach of the blue-black's U10 side when he was suddenly asked to interpret for big Spanish signing Victor Vazquez. The West Flemish played his role so well that the club immediately put him in charge of all Spanish-speaking players.
Drop his name with Jose Izquierdo, for example, and a long song of praise will undoubtedly follow.
Rigaux will also make an impression as a team manager and liaise with scouts. So much so that Vincent Manart increasingly took the eloquent polyglot with him to negotiations.
Rigaux learns the tricks of the trade from the first grade and is promoted to hiring manager, who is given increased responsibility for closing deals.
Madhu a few weeks ago on Rigo: “He has now developed a very strong network and played a very dominant role in many successful inbound and outbound transfers. If a foreigner had his CV, you would say: ‘Wow, that’s a strong CV’.”
As Director of Football, Rigo is now ultimately responsible for all transfer files.
Rigo with his partner Jose Izquierdo.
A helicopter supervises all the club's various sports departments.
He monitors football philosophy and is at Basecamp every day to serve as a sounding board for the head coach and staff.
“It also focuses on management, planning and organisation. I'm talking about sports science, team around the team, data and technology, player and team analytics,” CEO Maddow previously explained Didobillier's role.
The sporting director has been at the helm of Belgian football for many years. He began working in the Football Association's communications department in 2011, then set up his own sports agency 90/24 Media, which he left in 2019 to the club, where he previously held the position of marketing director.
“Subtly charming internet specialist. Avid writer. Friendly alcohol guru. Music ninja. Devoted social media fanatic.”
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