Big challenge

Things get brutal for Feldhofer in the fairytale city

The Styrian Ferdinand Feldhofer got off to a great start at Cercle Brugge.

(Bild: AFP)

Ferdinand Feldhofer only took over as coach at Cercle Brugge on December 10. The East Styrian is to lead the Belgian first division club to relegation. The start has been successful: under the former Sturm professional, the team has been unbeaten for five games. Feldhofer on the relegation battle and working for AS Monaco.  

The unexpected often happens! Ferdl Feldhofer was already in the middle of planning for the new season at Dinamo Tbilisi when the offer from Cercle Brugge suddenly arrived. A club from a top 7 league, the Styrian didn't have to think twice. "Everything happened very quickly. I already knew a lot about the club, as we had already been in contact a few years ago. Cercle has continued to follow my work in recent years. I was attracted by the overall package and the philosophy. In other words: a high-intensity game in both directions," explains the 45-year-old, who still had a championship match to play last Friday. Now there is a short pit stop with the family in Graz, on Friday Feldhofer takes off again for Belgium, where the league continues on January 12th. 

Before the Feldhofer era, Cercle met LASK in the Conference Leafue - they drew 0-0.

(Bild: GEPA)

While the club sensationally made it to the round of 16 in the Conference League, they are stuck in the relegation mire in the league: only 13th place out of a total of 16 clubs. Under Feldhofer, however, the club is doing better again: the Styrian is still unbeaten, three times in the championship and twice in the European Cup. "Fortunately, we've collected points recently, which we urgently need. We have ten rounds left, then the cut comes. The last four teams will play a play-off to decide who gets relegated. We want to avoid that, it will be brutal, but I knew that. It's a big challenge to take over a team during the championship," says the Sturm legend, who is happy all round. "I'm grateful for this opportunity, the city has enchanted me anyway, it has something fairytale-like about it, it's beautiful and only 20 minutes from the sea."

In the Conference League, Ferdl Feldhofer sensationally reached the round of 16 with Bruges.

(Bild: AFP)

AS Monaco bought Cercle in 2017. Since then, Adi Hütter's club has loaned diamonds in the rough to Bruges to gain match practice. This season, Feldhofer has young star Paris Brunner and Malamine Efekele under his wing. His contract runs for a year and a half, provided the team manages to stay in the league.

"Everything is well structured, the training center is right next to the stadium, which we share with our city rivals." Sturm met Belgian champions Club Brugge in the Champions League: the Belgians won 1:0 against the Blacks in October.

Feldhofer is now trying to relax with his family before the relegation battle continues. With the youngest team in the league (average age 23.1) to boot.