Parker seeks Club Brugge lift
A surprise hire by Club Brugge in December, former England midfielder Scott Parker is preparing to coach in the Champions League for the first time as the Belgian side take on Benfica in the last 16.
Parker, 42, had been out of work since being sacked by Bournemouth in August following a 9-0 defeat to Liverpool and his criticism of the Premier League club's approach in the transfer market.
"Stepping in as head coach halfway through the season means you want to see what you want to change quickly," Parker said at his unveiling.
"There is no doubt we can be successful with this team. It's now up to me to stimulate this and keep going."
Despite qualifying from the Champions League group stage for the first time, the Belgian champions have struggled domestically this season and sit a distant fourth -- 20 points behind leaders Genk.
Brugge have won just once in seven games under Parker, who spent the entirety of his playing career in England before retiring in 2017 and promptly turning to coaching.
After a season with Tottenham's under-18s, he rejoined Fulham to serve as an assistant to former boss Slavisa Jokanovic and then Claudio Ranieri after the Serb was dismissed.
Parker was thrust into a caretaker role once Ranieri was axed and Fulham were relegated from the top flight at the end of the 2018-19 season.
Given the job full-time, Parker brought the Cottagers back to the Premier League right away before the club suffered relegation once more.
While Brugge upset the odds to make it through from a section including Atletico Madrid, Porto and Bayer Leverkusen, there is no question Benfica will be favoured to reach the quarter-finals.
Parker is the first Englishman to manage a foreign club in the Champions League since Bobby Robson with PSV Eindhoven in 1998.
He is still searching for the right combination at a club that is used to competing for the top prizes in Belgium and which finished runners-up in the European Cup in 1978.
"We are still far away from the level we want to reach," Parker said after his first and only win so far, a 2-1 victory at Zulte Waregem two weeks ago.
Parker has completed just two full seasons in management -- both of which ended in promotion, having also guided Bournemouth back into the Premier League last term.
The record-equalling loss to Liverpool was his "toughest and most painful day" in football, and while he enjoyed spending more time with his family, he had no hesitation about embarking on a new adventure abroad.
"When I got the call (from Club Brugge), how they sold it was pretty special. The fire came back in my belly. It was the feeling of 'I can't wait to get going!', so let's go for it."
Parker, who came up through the Charlton Athletic academy, was in the Chelsea side that reached the Champions League semi-finals under Ranieri in 2004, the year Jose Mourinho's Porto won the competition.
Mourinho arrived at Stamford Bridge that summer and Parker's days at Chelsea were limited, but the midfielder continued at the top level for another decade -- turning out for Newcastle, West Ham, Tottenham and Fulham.
He won 18 England caps and started for his country at Euro 2012 alongside Steven Gerrard, who reportedly turned down an approach from Brugge as they hunted for a replacement for Carl Hoefkens.
In Parker, Brugge have landed upon a coach who aligns himself closely with the club's "no sweat no glory" motto.
"It's the kind of mentality that suits me to a tee. One million per cent," says Parker.
"I wanted to get the utmost out of my career as a player, and it's the kind of mentality that stuck to me."
Whether that is enough to restore Brugge to the summit in Belgium and prolong their improbable European run, only time will tell.
相关文章
Police bust crypto scammer who received plastic surgery to evade arrest
Photo of a man in his 40s at the time of his arrest (left) and cash found at at his hideout. (Seoul2024-09-22- 有酱肉,才叫年!游子记忆中家的味道——陇西酱肉|故乡的肉味_南方+_南方plus什么是年味?不同的人有不同的看法。莫言说,是为了吃到带钱的饺子,差点儿要了小命。陈忠实说,是村子弥漫诱人的馍的香味儿。汪2024-09-22
Otter launches live transcription for Zoom meetings
Transcribing audio is a massive pain. Thankfully, Otter just made it a lot easier for people stuck a2024-09-22Bezos unleashed: 7 things we learned from 'Amazon Unbound'
Full disclosure: Brad Stone, author of the definitive books on Jeff Bezos' company (The Everything S2024-09-22- “至正七年置”青花纪年铭文盖罐1939年,梁思成考察测绘高颐阙 资料图片成都矛石羊上石兽一座古老城市的背后往往是一篇绵延的历史长诗,人类开始学会直立行走,同其他类人猿逐渐划分开伊始,部落、城邦在漫长的2024-09-22
Court approves Edison Motors' deal to acquire embattled SsangYong Motor
Edison Motor CEO Kang Young-kwonA court on Monday gave its nod to electric carmaker Edison Motors Co2024-09-22
最新评论