Oostende coach Alexander Blessin breaks silence over Sheffield United links

Blessin emerged as one of the favoured candidates to succeed Chris Wilder as United manager, after The Star revealed recently that the Bramall Lane hierarchy were exploring options in Belgium.

Jan van Winckel, United owner Prince Abdullah’s defacto director of football, is from Belgium and is on the board of Beerschot, one of Oostende’s rivals in the Pro League there and United’s sister club under the United World umbrella.

Under Blessin, Oostende have been transformed from relegation candidates and the German has earned rave reviews for his style of play, which sees his side press relentlessly.

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That, and his ability to work with young players on a budget, has seen him earmarked as a candidate for the United job, even if potential post-Brexit rules may yet scupper the move.

And Blessin, asked about the interest from the Blades ahead of Oostende’s clash against Cercle Brugge, which ended 1-1 and sealed Oostende’s place in the play-offs, told Het Nieuwsblad: “If you do it right, there is always interest.

“Still, I only focus on the match against Cercle.

“It makes no sense to draw up a master or future plan as a coach. You can live much better today and now.”

Paul Heckingbottom felt Sheffield United's 1-0 defeat at Wolves summed up their relegation season

United were officially relegated from the Premier League on Saturday evening, when a 1-0 defeat away at Wolves left them 19 points adrift of safety with only six matches of the season remaining.

But any hopes of Blessin leading them in the Championship will be complicated by post-Brexit employment guidelines.

To obtain a necessary GBE, or Governing Body Endorsement, Blessin must have worked as a manager in a “top league” for two consecutive years or three of the previous five.

Although a former youth coach at RB Leipzig, this is former policeman Blessin’s first year as a manager – meaning United may be forced to look for a loophole, or an appeal, if they wish to appoint him as their first permanent foreign manager.

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