Club Brugge are set to have a new name in the dugout for Arsenal's Champions League trip to Jan Breydel Stadium on Wednesday, after the Belgian club sacked head coach Nicky Hayen
16:21, 08 Dec 2025Updated 16:27, 08 Dec 2025
Nicky Hayen
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Club Brugge have sacked manager Nicky Hayen ahead of the game against Arsenal(Image: Getty Images)
Club Brugge have sacked head coach Nicky Hayen and appointed Ivan Leko as their new boss in a dramatic twist at the Belgian club - just two days before their Champions League clash against Arsenal.
Hayen had been in the hotseat at Brugge since March 2024, having steered them to the Belgian Pro League title in his first season and helped them win the Belgian Cup and Belgian Super Cup.
However, following a run of FOUR defeats in six and back-to-back league losses, Brugge have now made the decision to axe Hayen ahead of Wednesday's game against Arsenal.
They have instantly replaced Hayen with Ivan Leko, who was appointed as Genk's new head coach in the summer and had won eight of his 19 matches in charge there.
In a statement, Brugge said: "Club bids farewell to Nicky Hayen as head coach.
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"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. Indeed, the 45-year-old had racked up 61 wins and 20 losses from his 101 games at the helm. That gave him a win race of almost 60 per cent.
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