Champions League Group G – Club Brugge v Leicester: Belgian side’s boss Michel Preud’Homme blasts home fans for staying away from clash with ‘little Leicester’

MICHEL PREUD’HOMME has blasted cocky Club Brugge fans for turning their noses up at tomorrow Group G opener against ‘little’ Leicester.

The Brugge boss has accused them of falling into the same trap as England’s arrogant superpowers, who dismissed Claudio Ranieri’s 5,000-1 outsiders last season, until it was too late.

Getty Images

Snooty Brugge fans are snubbing Leicester’s visit in droves with the 29,000 capacity Jan Breyden Stadium expected to be less than two-thirds full, despite this being Brugge’s first appearance in the group stages for a decade.

That’s in stark contrast to last season when 10,000 more locals flocked to see their team humbled by Manchester United in the Europa League.

That has set the alarm bells ringing for Belgian goalkeeping legend Preud’Homme, who has accused fans of under-estimating Leicester and warned they proved they were a class above United and every other big-spending English superpower a few months ago.

PA:Press Association

“If Arsenal were here everyone would want to come and see Arsenal,” said the Brugge boss.

“But Leicester won over Arsenal, Manchester City, United and Chelsea and so on last season.

“That means, right now, this Leicester team is better than the others and on paper we shouldn’t stand a chance.”

When the draw was made in Monaco for the Champions’ League the Belgian press groaned when Brugge failed to land one of the ‘glamour,’ clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or a familiar English superpower.

“Maybe our fans have the wrong perception of the quality of the opponent we face at home,” said Preud’Homme.

“We are playing the champions of England

Getty Images

“We also face Porto, a team who have won the Champions’ League twice and the only club, I believe, to have made every group stage since the competition began.

“If we had AS Roma everyone would say ‘Roma,’ we want to see it,’ but Porto eliminated Roma to qualify.

“I know the reality. The Belgian press and our fans may not think we are playing a ‘big,’ team. But Leicester were the best team in England last season.

“When you can beat the best and most powerful squads in England – with all their spending power and big-name players – you must be very good.”