Too little too late? Kortrijk grab first win in three months to keep slim survival hopes alive | OneFootball

Kortrijk fans will all be asking one question this morning; why did the club not hire Bernd Storck a few months ago? The German head coach was out of work having left Sepsi OSK in September 2024 and, based on his previous time with the club, would have been the ideal candidate. Storck kept Kortrijk in the league last time around, and their chances of repeating that feat would have been heightened had he come in before the turn of the year. However, the club went in another direction, and are now paying the price.

Since Storck has come in, there has been a clear improvement in terms of confidence and performances of the side. However, their first win in three months tells its own story. The mountain they must climb is almost Everest levels. Thierry Ambrose has rediscovered his form under Storck, grabbing a brace against OH Leuven to make it three goals in two games. Ambrose scored an impressive four goals in nine games to keep the side up this year, but his return to form is likely too little too late. The win over OH Leuven is more likely to hurt their opponents than aid Kortrijk. Leuven go into the final game of the season likely needing points to guarantee survival. Kortrijk are certain to be playing in the bottom four, with the gap to 14th and the relegation play-off at eight points.

Finishing 14th, as they did last season, is the sides only real hope of survival. If they can close the gap further when they face Gent next weekend then perhaps there is a slim chance. However, they will then need to go unbeaten through the six matches in the play-offs to have any real chance of closing the gap. With Sint-Truiden also starting to show some resurgence, this still feels like a long shot.

In many ways, one could argue that the club deserve to go down. Three years in a row they have fought against the drop, and each summer they appear not to have learnt the lessons of the previous season. 2025 may be the year that they finally drop down into the second tier.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson