Jess Thorup returns to Genk as head coach

Danish football coach Jess Thorup is returning to Belgium's KRC Genk as head coach, signing a three-year contract with the club. This appointment marks a longer-term commitment than his previous stint in 2020, when he left after just over a month and five undefeated matches to manage FC København.

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The situation was not ideal back then. We were in the middle of the corona period. When FC Copenhagen knocked, it was an offer at that point in my career that I could not refuse. Both familially and sportingly. The situation is different now.

Thorup acknowledged the past situation was not ideal, citing the COVID-19 period and the irresistible offer from FC København. He noted that KRC Genk has made significant strides in recent years, with a more professional sporting organization and upcoming state-of-the-art training facilities.

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In recent years, KRC Genk has clearly taken big steps. The sporting organization has been further professionalized, and with the new training facility, KRC Genk will soon have state-of-the-art facilities to get the most out of the squad.

Genk finished seventh in the Belgian league last season and lost a playoff for a European spot to Gent, a club where Thorup also has coaching experience. Genk's football director, Dimitri de Conde, highlighted Thorup's experience, clear football vision, and familiarity with the club and the Belgian league as key assets.

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Jess is a coach with experience and a clear football vision. He knows our club, he knows the Belgian league, and he knows what it means to win titles.

"With Jess, we get a coach who can build on that foundation and translate it into results," de Conde stated. Thorup most recently coached Egyptian club Al Ahly, a tenure that ended in June after eight months. His coaching career also includes spells at Esbjerg, FC Midtjylland, Gent, FC København, Augsburg, and the Danish U21 national team.

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This summer we have invested significantly in the framework around the squad. With Jess, we get a coach who can build on that foundation and translate it into results.