Europa League

BELGIAN coach Nicky Hayen has gone from managing Welsh minnows Haverfordwest County to the Europa Conference League semi-finals in just TWO YEARS.Brugge head into Thursday’s second leg with Fiorentina trailing 3-2 as they look to book their spot in Athens on May 29.Nicky Hayen took over at Club Brugge in MarchCredit: GettyHe is being tipped for some of the top European jobs in the futureCredit: GettyAnd the man leading them into the match has had some journey to this point.Path to BruggeHayen, 43, took caretaker charge of the club in March following the sacking of Ronny Deila – the man who replaced Scott Parker.It was a huge task for the young coach – who was in charge of Cymru Premier side Haverfordwest County just 21 months earlier.Hayen, who spent his playing career in the lower leagues in Belgium and the Netherlands, worked for six months with the Welsh club and helped them avoid relegation.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIn June 2022, he then left them to become head coach of Club Brugge’s U23 side.This left him perfectly poised to assume the vacant first-team role when Deila was dismissed.Sensational run of formHe has not disappointed, going unbeaten in seven league games, winning six.Brugge now sit top of the Belgian league with just three matches left in the Championship round.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSHayen also masterminded a 3-0 aggregate win over PAOK in the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League, while his only defeat since taking charge came in the 3-2 loss to Fiorentina in the first leg of the semis.If they get past Fiorentina, Brugge will play Olympiacos or Aston Villa in the final.Top 10 highest paid footballers in the world revealed with no Premier League players making the top fiveLiverpool manager in waiting?Hayen, who has played a 3-5-2 formation elsewhere but turned to a back four in recent months, is now being tipped for some of the biggest jobs in Europe.And journalist Jan Mulder believes he will be manager of Liverpool “within two years”.That is despite Feyenoord head coach Arne Slot preparing to take over from Jurgen Klopp.Mulder said: “Nicky Hayen will be festively appointed manager of Club Brugge on the day of the Belgian championship and will put in a series of games in the Champions League next year, attracting the attention of Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Bayern and Manchester.”Nasser Al-Khelaifi of Paris Saint-Germain also joins the fight for his signature at the last minute.”Personally, I think that the great Nicky Hayen will replace Arne Slot as manager of Liverpool within two years.”Hayen spoke back in 2021 about the style of play he likes his teams to adopt.He said: “My style of play is that I like to build up from behind, I like to play combination football.”But, first of all, you need to have the players to play this style of football.READ MORE SUN STORIES”As I said, I’ve seen a team that when they have the confidence, they can do it, but if they don’t have the confidence they don’t, and won’t do it, because they don’t want the ball, and then this is my first priority, and this is also what I have in my character.”Mentality is the first thing, you can play nice football to win games, but if you don’t have the mentality, if you don’t fight for each other, if you don’t work for every single piece of ground, then you don’t win games.” More

AEK ATHENS manager Matias Almeyda had a heated brawl after a dramatic derby against PAOK desceded into chaos.AEK lost 3-2 to Razvan Lucescu’s men in Salonika in an entertaining encounter that has set the Superleague title race on fire with both rivals as well as Olympiacos and Panathinaikos gunning for the top.A heated brawl erupted after AEK Athens’ loss to PAOK in SalonikaCredit: X@Tsarumon1AEK boss Matias Almeyda got into a furious altercation in the dugoutCredit: X@Tsarumon1The angry confrontation saw the police get involvedCredit: X@Tsarumon1Almeyda appeared to grab a person by the neck during the brawlAlmeyda is facing a three-match touchline ban after the incidentCredit: X@Tsarumon1Once the referee’s final whistle blew, Almeyda, 50, was suddenly infuriated and got into a heated altercation with a small crowd around the dugout.The ex-Inter Milan ace first pushed his own player Sergio Araujo as well as a sub away before confronting a number of different people.PAOK star Taison and a number of AEK coaches tried to hold the former Argentina international back while police also got involved.Almeyda then appeared to grab another person by the neck before he was pulled away.Read More on FootballAccording to Sportal, the man in question was an official working for the Sub-Directorate of Sports Violence Prevention (DEAV).Thankfully cooler heads prevailed and the Argentinean tactician was led away with the help of some of his players, including AEK captain Petros Mantalos, Mijat Gacinovic, Ehsan Hajsafi and Cican Stankovic.The ex-Lazio star addressed the incident during his post-match press conference and revealed he apologised to the man he appeared to hold by the neck.Almeyda said: “Did you see how many people were in the stadium? What I always say is that if we want to change the situation in Greek football, there cannot be so many people. There is no one at AEK matches. So who protects us on the field? Most read in Football”I really don’t care if it was PAOK people or others, I just think that people should be more respectful. I respect the world and I want the same. When I see an injustice being done, I react. I am a man, blood flows in my veins. I’m not going to change the way I am as a person.”I respect everyone whether I’m playing inside or outside and I want to be treated as a human being. I hope we don’t all have to be upset about something that has happened on the field. There can’t be 200 people on the field, we’re talking about football not American football. Olympiacos receive FIERY heroes’ welcome after Europa Conference League triumph”You can lose, you can win, but these things cannot exist in football. You who are in football, do you consider all this normal?”How many were inside the playing field? Win or lose, we’re here to talk and help. Today the referee was German, at one point he told me he couldn’t believe how many people were in the stadium.”I don’t think this is a matter for the police. We didn’t lose for this game. I’m just answering the question. This is not good.”The truth is, this picture doesn’t help, at all. This holds football back. My own reaction was one that I don’t advise anyone to do. I had the opportunity before to apologise to the gentleman that this happened to. “Before I had received some pushes. If you push me, I’ll do the same. Because I don’t push, I talk. I accept defeats and criticism, but don’t let anyone challenge me. It’s very simple. If what I did is bad, yes it is.”There were people who shouldn’t have been there. I take responsibility for my bad reaction. Then look at the picture, so that there is no problem. If we zoom in a little, more can be seen.”Almeyda is now facing a touchline ban of up to three matches, which would see him missing AEK’s last two crunch clashes against rivals Olympiacos away and Lamia at home. More