"Only opinion of people within club counts"

INTERVIEWS Hendrik Van Crombrugge faced some criticism after the game against Eupen, but that did not stop him from addressing the press yesterday. "Yes, that goal against Eupen was my mistake, but it is not because you make a mistake that you are suddenly a bad goalkeeper," he said.


"I wouldn't know what is all being said and written. I don't follow it all. What is said about me from the outside doesn't interest me much either. The opinion from inside the club, from the staff and management, that's what I'm concerned with. The people outside shouldn't judge me, but the people within the club who work with me every day should. I am very strict with myself and in every match there are things that can be improved."

"Peeters' free kick against Eupen can be credited to me, that's clear," Van Crombrugge said. So what went wrong? "The ball comes tightly in front of goal and Hoedt goes at it. It is then a natural reflex of a goalkeeper to change your trajectory. The ball then doesn't come where I expect it to."

"With a goalkeeper, mistakes are almost always punished. That's inherent in our job and we have to deal with that. The issue is to keep that to a minimum and quickly turn that knob, be important for your team and swallow as few goals against as possible."

"It's not the first time in my career that I made a mistake. It won't be the last either. But I've been in the business long enough. You have to stay calm under it and turn the knob. Just because you make a mistake doesn't mean you are suddenly a worse goalkeeper."