Van Bommel on threshold of national championship, but: ‘Everyone is against Antwerp’

To cope with the huge disappointment, he gave Royal Antwerp’s players two days off. Now coach Mark van Bommel’s team gets the second and last chance to become champions of Belgium.

There is a small chance that a draw will suffice, but in fact Antwerp must win Sunday’s visit to KRC Genk. Otherwise, the title goes to Genk or Royale Union. Against that team from Brussels, Antwerp should have finished last week at home, but with one man more Antwerp swallowed the equalizer shortly before time: 1-1.

“I have the feeling that the outside world suddenly doesn’t see us as favorites,” said Van Bommel, who is chasing his first title in 66 years with Antwerp.

“Everyone is against us,” says the former PSV coach. “The newspapers, television, opponents and fans. I like that it’s Antwerp against the rest, I like that.”

* If Antwerp and Union finish with an equal number of points, Antwerp finishes higher because Union’s points were rounded up at the end of the regular season.

Everything in Bosuil stadium and the city of Antwerp was ready to celebrate the national championship last weekend. “The whole city had lived so much towards that,” Van Bommel looked back on the disappointing afternoon. “It’s not easy to just flip the switch. It’s just not possible, I couldn’t do that myself. You might read that in the theory books, but in practice it’s different.”

After two days off, Van Bommel hopes his player group has been able to cope with the disappointment and give everything one more time on Sunday. “We just trained normally, as we have done all season. That’s the best way to deal with the blow.”

Van Bommel: “A coach who was going to do crazy things in this week, brings doubt to his group. Then you create the impression that you don’t know anymore. I don’t put on a show, I do it the way I’ve done it all season.”

Earlier, Van Bommel’s team won the Belgian Cup. In the hunt for the double, the coach received good news from the sickbay: club top scorer Vincent Janssen has recovered from the injury he sustained last weekend.