Brighton and Hove Albion star Maxim de Cuyper has revealed owner Tony Bloom committed a major faux pas when he first joined the club last summer.
Voetbal Nieuws cover comments from the defender today. They’re from a wide-ranging interview with Het Niuewsblad.
He’s been with Brighton since the summer, joining gin a €17.75m deal from Club Brugge. He’s quickly established himself as first-choice under Fabian Hurzeler since.
De Cuyper arrived from Belgium with a growing reputation after impressing at Brugge, particularly in the Champions League. But it seems that reputation wasn’t quite as big as he may have though. That was evidenced when Brighton owner Tony Bloom completely forgot he had been signed by the club.
“Our first meeting was actually quite funny,” he said.
“It was players’ night and the chairman was going to give a speech. Bloom welcomed all the new players but forgot about me.
“Bloom bit the dust. And yet, at that moment, I was the only newcomer actually playing. That same evening, I received a message from him apologising.
“He’s a very sweet man who genuinely cares about us. He has a very positive attitude, too. Just like everyone at the club, by the way.”
Jokes over Brighton research
Bloom’s faux pas is particularly surprising given the detail Brighton go to before signing a player. This is something De Cuyper experienced himself.
He was well aware of the Seagulls’ extensive research protocols, all driven by the wide-ranging scouting department Bloom has instilled at the club. The scouting network very rarely misses a player or details about him.
That was certainly the case for the full-back, who discovered there was a 40-page document available on him.
“’What do you all know about me?’ I asked on the day I signed,” he added.
“Because I knew that at Union, they were extremely thorough in their research. ‘You don’t want to know,’ was the answer. (laughs) It turned out to be a forty-page dossier.”
