Luca Brecel has revealed that Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard came to his rescue by sorting him a private jet for the World Snooker Championship. Brecel scraped through his first-round match against Ryan Day but was much improved against Ding Junhui in his next outing as he stormed to a 13-4 win. He will face tournament favourite Judd Trump in the quarter-finals.
Brecel returned to his native Belgium after the first round and was in a race against time to reach the Crucible before the start of his match against Ding. He arrived in England that afternoon and turned up at the famous Sheffield venue just minutes before taking to the table. A private jet was hastily arranged, with Brecel using his celebrity contacts to seal the deal.
He is good friends with Trossard, who also hails from Belgium and was able to put him in touch with the right people in the nick of time.
“I just booked it the day before,” said Brecel. “Obviously, I know Trossard from Arsenal. He arranged it for me. That was quite easy. He gave me the number and I fixed it. I’m not going to say the price.”
Most players at the World Snooker Championship will remain in Sheffield until they are knocked out of the tournament. Brecel, however, has made a habit of returning to Belgium or flying to Mallorca between matches, something he is unwilling to change.
“I don’t like to hang around too long,” he explained. “I always try to get here as late as possible. Even today, I came here 15 minutes before the game.
“That has always been my way. As long as it works, it’s good. If there’s a delay, there’s a delay. I left enough time, I guess, to get here.”
Brecel won his only world title in 2023 and has struggled to hit the same heights over the last two years. While he admitted that he is not playing as well as he did when he conquered the Crucible, he is not feeling the same amount of pressure.
“I’m not sure if I am playing as good as 2023, but I am more relaxed and not so worried about winning the title because when I got to the final, I felt it was a golden chance,” said the 30-year-old.
“I feel like I can get back there and win it again. Not that much pressure. It’s not taking too much energy out of me yet.”