After nine games of the season, the competition is warming up in Belgium. Club Brugge, Anderlecht and Racing Genk are all unbeaten and all have reason to be happy with their form. With Gent also handily placed in the table, only Standard of the ‘Big Five’ have troubles and at Sclessin, that comes with a… Read More »
Here’s a rundown of this week’s Cofidis Cup action in Belgium. The Cup rarely gets people excited but I have a feeling this year could be a vintage one. And don’t ask me why I think that. In the 16 matches, there were 13 winners from the First Division and they were joined by three… Read More »
Anderlecht have not played in the Champions League for six years and they haven’t achieved much since the days when Jan Koller, Tomasz Radzinski and Walter Baseggio gave Manchester United – with Gary Neville, David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs – a good beating in 2000. Last night wasn’t quite up to… Read More »
Anderlecht return to the Champions League after a six year gap. Ever the optimist, President Roger Vanden Stock says that it’s a good time to play AC Milan. He’s probably right as the Italians are at the beginning of team-building. Zlatan Ibrahomovic and Thiago Silva have left the club as part of Silvio Berlusconi’s austerity… Read More »
Anderlecht have qualified for the group stages of the Champions League for the first time for six years. Two late goals – from Dieumerci Mbokani and Sacha Iakovenko – sealed the victory and made sure it was party time at the Constant Vanden Stock stadium. In truth, no one understood what new coach John Van… Read More »
Tonight Anderlecht play the return Champions League qualifying match against AEL Limassol. The first leg was won by the Cypriots 2-1 and new coach John van den Brom will be feeling the pressure that comes with coaching Belgium’s most media-intense club. The press and the Anderlecht President have reminded van den Brom that qualification for… Read More »
It’s the Belgian first division’s big fight; representing Belgium is Georges Leekens, now firmly of Club Brugge, and representing the Netherlands we have John van den Brom and Ron Jans of, respectively, Anderlecht and Standard Liege. The recent invasion by Dutch coaches in Belgian soccer means that five of the 16 first division clubs are… Read More »
The Belgian media has recently been focusing on the so-called invasion of Dutch coaches in the Jupiler League. There will be five of them out of 16 when the league starts in July and Belgian coaches such as Hugo Broos – currently out of work – have questioned why the Dutch are getting jobs that… Read More »