Zulte Waregem sporting manager Niels Leroy has publicly backed head coach Michael Beale despite the club’s run of five straight defeats in the Belgian Pro League.
Questions over Beale’s position grew after a 3-0 away loss to La Louvière on 24 October, a match that prompted the Englishman to offer travelling supporters a personal refund for their tickets. Leroy has since insisted that the club retains faith in Beale and explained that even three further consecutive defeats would not automatically result in his dismissal.
That stance was tested again on 30 October when Zulte Waregem were beaten 4-2 at home by Club Brugge. The defeat extended their losing streak in the league to five matches and left the side 10th in the table with 11 points from 10 games.
Leroy stands by Beale
Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad in comments reported by Belgian outlet Voetbalkrant, Leroy stated that Beale was not under pressure at that stage. The club remains confident that the team can turn its form around and start picking up points in the matches ahead.
Leroy also made clear that Zulte Waregem would not automatically sack Beale if the side suffered another three defeats. Rather than dismissing a coach because of a brief spell of poor results, the club prefers to judge the wider picture.
He pointed to Zulte Waregem’s previous backing of former coach Sven Vandenbroeck as an example of how the club operates. According to Leroy, the club would only consider a coaching change if its broader assessment no longer gave enough reasons to keep the manager in charge.
While those comments represent a public vote of confidence, they do not guarantee Beale’s long-term future at the club. Leroy’s message was that results still count, even if they are not the only factor in how the club makes its decisions.
Also Read: Club Brugge want to keep Nicolò Tresoldi despite €60m transfer talk
Beale offered to refund travelling supporters
The frustration surrounding Zulte Waregem’s league form had already led to an unusual gesture from Beale following the trip to La Louvière on 24 October. Two goals from Nolan Gillot and a late third from Léandro Rousseau condemned Zulte Waregem to a 3-0 away loss, which was their fourth consecutive league defeat and their fourth league match in a row without scoring a goal.
After the final whistle, Beale apologised to the fans who had made the journey to support the team. In comments reported by Voetbalkrant, he promised to personally refund their ticket costs because he did not want supporters paying to watch a performance of that standard.
Beale also called the team’s display unacceptable and said his players needed to raise their level. Although the gesture showed how seriously he took the fans’ disappointment, it does not confirm that every ticket refund has since been processed.
Fifth defeat follows against Club Brugge
Zulte Waregem’s return to home action at the Elindus Arena on 30 October brought another difficult night, as Club Brugge scored four first-half goals on their way to a 4-2 win.
Hugo Vetlesen gave the visitors an early lead before Tobias Hedl pulled Zulte Waregem level. Club Brugge quickly restored their advantage through goals from Carlos Forbs and Nicolò Tresoldi, and Hans Vanaken made it 4-1 before the break. Hedl scored his second goal of the match in the second half, but the hosts were unable to mount a comeback.
That loss extended Zulte Waregem’s losing run to five consecutive league games. The sequence began on 13 September with a 1-0 home defeat against Sporting Charleroi and was followed by losses to Anderlecht, Gent, La Louvière and Club Brugge. Although Beale’s side recorded a 3-0 win over RFC Seraing in the Belgian Cup on 17 October, that victory came in a separate competition and had no bearing on their league run.
Ten matches into the Pro League season, Zulte Waregem sit 10th on 11 points after three wins, two draws and five defeats, with 12 goals scored and 16 conceded. They remain outside the relegation places, though the points gap across the bottom half of the table is narrow.
Also Read: Stirling Albion weigh up £1m takeover bid from Canadian group
Sint-Truiden up next for Zulte Waregem
Beale’s side have a chance to respond when they travel to play Sint-Truiden on 8 November. Zulte Waregem are then due to host Royal Antwerp on 21 November before an away fixture against Lommel SK on 28 November.
Those upcoming games should offer an early sign of whether Zulte Waregem can turn Leroy’s public support into better results on the pitch. With both Sint-Truiden and Antwerp sitting close to Zulte Waregem in the table, those matches carry added weight for the club’s league position.
For now, Leroy has made it plain that another brief run of defeats would not automatically end Beale’s spell in charge. All the same, the head coach needs his team to show clear signs of improvement after conceding four goals against Club Brugge and taking no points from their last five league outings.
