Club Brugge and Belgium legend Marc Degryse has criticized Raphael Onyedika following the midfielder’s reaction to being substituted during the team’s 2-1 victory over Westerlo. The 23-year-old has been a regular contributor for Brugge this season, providing one assist, but his performance against Westerlo did not meet expectations.
Onyedika started the match brightly, assisting Jorne Spillers to score the opening goal just four minutes in. However, his performance took a downturn as Hans Vanaken doubled Brugge’s lead twenty minutes later, only for Onyedika to make a costly error that allowed Westerlo to reduce the deficit.
Head coach Nicky Hayden decided to substitute Onyedika in the 81st minute, a decision the midfielder visibly contested, expressing his displeasure to both the coach and the technical staff. This reaction drew sharp criticism from Degryse, who remarked, “On Saturday in Westerlo, I found his performance to be outrageous. It was just over the top. So nonchalant. I know coaches who would have replaced Onyedika after twenty minutes. I think a coach or even a board should make it clear to Onyedika that a match like this at Westerlo was unacceptable. And then he was still angry when he was substituted. I have never seen anything like that from a player who plays in the ‘6’ position.”
Currently, Club Brugge sits fourth in the Belgian Pro League, trailing Tolu Arokodare’s Genk by seven points as they seek to improve their standing in the league.