Cercle Brugge captain Hannes Van der Bruggen is using the unusually long international break for a personal mental reset. The 30-year-old midfielder is heading to Lake Como in Italy for three days of walking and mountain biking, after training with the club on Monday morning.

The Jupiler Pro League is halted for three weeks due to a combined September-October international period. National teams are playing four matches, leaving clubs like Cercle Brugge with a unique logistical puzzle. For Van der Bruggen, the pause comes at the right time after the first seven league matchdays, during which his team is yet to win and sits 17th with three points. "I first asked my girlfriend for permission," laughs the Cercle captain. "I'm going to Lake Como for three days to do some walking and mountain biking."

Logistical challenge

The situation is a challenge for many clubs. Club Brugge, for instance, has barely six players left, while Racing Genk sees thirteen internationals depart. Devon Maes, Head of Health & Performance at Genk, states that the remaining players will get six days off with a home-based running programme. Afterwards, the club will organise friendly matches to maintain match rhythm. The staff emphasises that returning players after sixteen or seventeen days must be sufficiently loaded to be match-ready within two to three days. Genk has sent clear training guidelines to national team coaches and is monitoring players every three to four days.

Analyst Wesley Sonck expressed surprise at the setup. "I was really surprised when I first saw it," says Sonck. Analyst Tuur Dierckx sees the logic for national teams but acknowledges the disruption for clubs early in the season. At KV Kortrijk, captain Brecht Dejaeghere sees the break as a chance to work on the new coach's ideas.

For Cercle Brugge, the period offers space for distance and reflection after a tough start. Manager Miron Muslic's team lost its last two league games and has an inconsistent recent form of three wins and two defeats in its last five matches. The next task is a difficult away fixture against leaders Union Saint-Gilloise on October 24th. Fans can check the full schedule on the fixtures page and follow the current standings. Van der Bruggen will return after his short trip to prepare for the resumption, with the focus on reversing the negative trend.

The report in full is at Sporza Voetbal