An airport strike has forced Belgian football club Club Brugge to dramatically alter its pre-match schedule ahead of a key European fixture in Lisbon.
The disruption stems from industrial action impacting Ostend-Bruges airport, leading to significant changes in the team’s travel and logistical arrangements for their match against Sporting.
Sporting, the Portuguese club, had initially announced Club Brugge would conduct its final training session Tuesday morning in Belgium at 11:00 a.m. local time (0900 GMT).
The Belgian side’s manager, Nicky Hayen, and player Carlos Forbs were scheduled to hold press conferences at Lisbon’s Alvalade stadium at 6:00 p.m. local time (1700 GMT). This was to follow a pitch walkaround set for 5:30 p.m. local time (1630 GMT).
However, the airport strike necessitated the cancellation of these planned events in Lisbon.
Club Brugge is now expected to depart Belgium at 8:15 p.m. local time (1815 GMT) and arrive in the Portuguese capital shortly after 10:00 p.m. local time (2100 GMT).
This severely delayed arrival means the team will have significantly less time on-site to prepare for the European encounter.
The club will be compelled to finalize its game strategy against Sporting after completing a morning training session in Belgium before their late departure.