"It is only an enrichment for our players to be able to play in such a tournament."

After the 2-1 defeat against Red Bull Bragantino, we spoke with RSC Anderlecht coach David Hubert about the game, the experience of the Otten Innovation Cup and of course what he made of the new rules that teams have to follow.

What did you think of the match against Red Bull Bragantino?

I believe we played a well-organized game overall. We made it very difficult for Red Bull. In the first half, we took a good lead. Afterward, we dropped a bit too deep on our own half, but I think we primarily got into trouble due to an individual mistake on our part. We gave the ball away too easily to the opponent with a throw-in/dribble, resulting in the 1-1. You can see, especially at this age, that momentum can quickly shift in such situations. Shortly after that, they scored again to make the game 2-1.

In the second half, we stuck to our principles, playing well between the lines. This also caused problems for Red Bull Bragantino, and we created some very good chances. Unfortunately, this didn't lead to an equalizer.

You mentioned that the conceded goal came from a situation involving a new rule. How do you feel about these rules so far?

In the beginning, it required some adjustment. You see players thinking, for example, when the ball goes out of play. They can simply dribble it in, but it's not fully ingrained yet. That's understandable; we haven't had much time to train for it. I think we'll get better at dealing with it as the tournament progresses in the upcoming matches.

How do you like being at the Otten Innovation Cup?

It's always interesting for our academy to participate in such a tournament. It's a fantastically organized competition with strong international opponents. It's always a great opportunity for us to measure ourselves against these academies. It's only an enrichment for our players to be able to play in such a tournament.