Cardiff City’s sister club KV Kortrijk have sacked manager Yves Vanderhaeghe in a move which may spell concern for Bluebirds loanee Ryotaro Tsunoda.
The Japanese defender was brought in for a second spell at the Belgian club by Vanderhaeghe in the January transfer window, as he looked to get back up to speed after suffering a hamstring injury last March.
But, just 63 days after he was appointed, Vanderhaege has been shown the door by Kortrijk, who also sacked previous head coach Freyr Alexanderrsson earlier this season. The manager failed to win any of his eight matches in charge, losing six.
It was Vanderhaeghe's third spell at the club, having served as assistant manager between 2008 and 2014, and stepping up to the top job the following season. He returned in 2018 before leaving for a second time in 2021.
In a brief statement, the club said: "This afternoon KVK said goodbye to head coach Yves Vanderhaeghe. The club wants to thank Yves for his efforts in recent months. KV Kortrijk is now working on a successor as quickly as possible."
The question now is whether the transition of staff at KV Kortrijk will affect Tsunoda’s recovery and whether it could see him take to the pitch more often going forward, as the defender has only played 109 minutes this season.
Kortrijk look destined for relegation this season, as they find themselves second to bottom in the Belgian Pro League and 12 points from safety.
The Belgian club's safety also has a knock-on effect for Cardiff, who have benefitted from their sister side playing in the top flight by sending players such as Tsunoda, Isaak Davies, Sheyi Ojo and Roko Simic there in recent seasons.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.