1. A crazy weekend for some of the big boys How did that happen? Of the eight clubs still in with a shout for the Playoffs, only three took maximum points: Club Brugge, Oostende and Standard. Genk could only draw at Lokeren while the rest all lost – including Gent and Anderlecht. Gent were thrashed… Read More »
The incoming transfers in January gave the Jupiler Pro League a certain amount of glamour. With the Belgium national team leading the FIFA rankings, the league was able to attract a few names. These included a few notable loans – Victor Valdés from Manchester United, Mbark Boussoufa from Locomotive Moscow and Filip Djuricic from Benfica.… Read More »
Any review of the Jupiler League at the winter break stage has to focus on Gent. After winning the title last season, many people expected Hein Vanhaezebrouck’s men to concentrate on the Champions League at the possible expense of local considerations. It was not to be. Not only have Gent qualified for the knock-out stages… Read More »
Tonight, journalists, coaches and past winners will decide who will be Belgium’s ‘Golden Boot’ for 2015. The award will be based on performances over the calendar year rather than a complete football season. That’s not universally liked but it’s a tradition. There is usually a clear favourite for the award and this year is no… Read More »
At the halfway stage in the JPL, Oostende are on the top of the table and have been crowned ‘Autumn Champions’. It won’t mean much to coach Yves Vanderhaeghe who knows more than most that football is not a matter of life and death. Vanderhaeghe arrived late on both the national and international scenes. He… Read More »
Belgium play in Andorra tonight and against Israel in Brussels on Tuesday. Two points from those two games will see them qualify for the European Championships but what’s bubbling under the surface. Let’s have a look. Ten things you may not know 1. Lukaku plays tonight but it’s not ‘Big Rom’ but smaller-sized Jordan –… Read More »
It’s an unlikely scenario. Vincent Kompany storms into Manuel Pelliegrini’s office and shouts “Gaffer. We’ve got David Silva, Yaya Touré and Raheem Sterling. We don’t need Kevin De Bruyne.” Going back a few years – to 1972 – the then City captain Mike Doyle did exactly that, bursting into Malcolm Allison’s office to announce that… Read More »
Marc Wilmots is due to announce his squad for the matches with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Cyprus in early September. I don’t expect many surprises as it’s early in the season and no-one has had a chance to stake a claim. Wilmots will probably stick with his usual squad except for one or two injuries. It must… Read More »
There have never been so many Belgians in the Premier League. It’s a boom time but the 2016 Euros are fast approaching and young guns in Belgium, France, Germany and Spain – and even in the Premier League itself – will be battling for a place in Marc Wilmots’ squad. Wilmots has been notoriously loyal… Read More »
It could be the first time that the Belgian League started before the Tour De France had reached the Alp d’Huez. But hey, that’s football. It will be an open competition this year. Normally Anderlecht start favourites but after failing to qualify for the Champions League and losing some important players – Alexsander Mitrovic and… Read More »