Club Brugge player Marc Degryse has blamed Raphael Onyedika’s suspension for the club’s UEFA Champions League elimination, describing the midfielder’s yellow card as the defining moment of the tie against Atlético Madrid.

Club Brugge’s European campaign ended following a 4-1 defeat in the second leg of their qualifying round encounter.

Raphael Onyedika picked up his third yellow card of the campaign in the home match, which resulted in a suspension for the second leg.

The Nigerian international’s absence was described as a major setback for Club Brugge’s tactical structure.

The suspension forced coach Ivan Leko to make several changes to his midfield setup ahead of the decisive fixture.

Onyedika’s direct replacement, Hugo Vetlesen, was selected to fill the midfield role.

While the player delivered a reasonable performance, lack of match fitness was visible during the encounter.

Degryse explained the situation while speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws, via Voetbalnieuws, saying, “Ivan Leko’s choice of Vetlesen was certainly a good one. He was often in the right place and offered himself. Excellent. You just felt he lacked rhythm and feeling.”

The analyst also explained that the team structure was affected by Onyedika’s absence, forcing Aleksandar Stankovic to play in a deeper midfield position.

According to Degryse, this tactical adjustment reduced attacking opportunities from midfield.

Degryse further emphasized that Onyedika’s suspension represented the key turning point of the two-legged contest.

He said, “Perhaps that yellow card for Raphael Onyedika in the first leg was the most important, and unfortunate, moment of this double encounter against Atlético.”

He also suggested that Onyedika’s presence would have changed midfield movement patterns.

Degryse added, “If you play the second leg against Atlético with Onyedika, Stankovic will be in the spaces where Vetlesen was now. Had Stankovic had those chances, he would certainly have scored once or twice.”

Club Brugge will now focus on domestic competitions while reflecting on their European campaign and areas needing improvement for future continental tournaments.

Wale Adejumo