Van Bommel simply includes displeased Frey in the selection against Union: “We will come out of this together”

Croky CupEveryone happy except Frey. Despite Antwerp’s smooth cup victory in Genk, Michael Frey has headaches. The Swiss can no longer reconcile himself with a role as a back-up striker and wants to leave, Charleroi, among others, beckons. But whether Antwerp just wants to let him go… This weekend the Swiss is already in the match selection for the top match against Union.

LOOK. Antwerp convincingly put Genk aside in the cup

Remarkable scene in the mixed zone of Genk’s Cegeka Arena on Wednesday evening: while most Antwerp players approach the bus with a wall-to-wall smile, Michael Frey’s face is in a storm. “This was Michael Frey’s last game,” grumbles the 28-year-old striker, who was allowed to come in for fifteen minutes just before. He wasn’t really happy about that.

If a footballer makes such statements in front of a horde of journalists, then you can assume that it is not just a ‘slip of the tongue’. Frey seems to want to put pressure on the Antwerp board to force a departure during this winter mercato. The longer, the less Frey can live with the role he is usually assigned this season: that of stand-in for Vincent Janssen.

We can also imagine something about Frey’s displeasure. The man scored 24 times for Antwerp in competition last season and so often dragged the team through difficult moments. And yet last summer the club brought in a formidable competitor with Vincent Janssen – who is in principle better at the combination game. At the start of the season, Janssen was mainly played in Europe, while Frey made more minutes in the Belgian league. After the European elimination, Frey was injured for five matches. But since October, Janssen has been clearly above Frey in the pecking order. Janssen has already found his way to the nets twelve times.

Frey. © BELGIUM

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Because trainer Mark van Bommel usually does not play with two center forwards and there is no reason why Vincent Janssen’s engine would suddenly start sputtering, there is not immediately much improvement for Frey. However, the Swiss powerhouse is too fond of the game to sit on the couch for long. And so the bucket overflowed on Genk. Earlier this season we also saw Frey waving his arms in Eupen when he had to make way for Janssen, but then the professional and team player quickly took the upper hand in Frey. Now it looks like he will start thinking more about himself and will push for a transfer.

Some clubs – including Charleroi – would show interest. It is not illogical that Frey is in demand, because the man has already scored 133 goals throughout his professional career. In the current season, he scored nine goals from 997 minutes of play. A lot of teams are eager for a striker with such figures.

Only: Antwerp is not at all keen to let Frey, who is still under contract until the summer of 2024 and cost two million a year and a half ago, just leave. At the Bosuil people are satisfied with what Frey brings and they realize that the energetic Frey as a substitute can breathe new life into a match that is bleeding to death. Moreover, a top club should actually have two top strikers at its disposal at any time. In that sense, it would be logical for Antwerp to stand its ground. But then some massage work will probably be needed to get Frey one hundred percent involved in the case again. Undoubtedly to be continued.

Van Bommel simply includes Frey in the selection: “We will come out of this together”

This weekend Frey is just in the match core of Antwerp for the top match against Union. Of course, Van Bommel had read in the media that Frey had expressed his dissatisfaction with his situation in the Genk mixed zone on Wednesday. Frey is on the couch more than he likes this season and would like to visit other places this winter. “Michael is dissatisfied. That’s every player who is not allowed to play”, says Van Bommel.

“In Genk, Michael let his emotions speak,” Van Bommel continues. “But we will figure it out together. We’ve talked in the meantime and I don’t assume that Michael played his last match for Antwerp. Michael still has a contract here and he certainly doesn’t have to leave for me. We’ll fix it. On Sunday we will play against Union and on Wednesday against Ostend. We have no time to lose and the focus must now be on those races as soon as possible.”