Latest news with #BelgianCup
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Belgian Pro League Season Review: OH Leuven
Finish Position: 12th Overview: OH Leuven continued their recent trend of finishing within the mid-table places, as their season petered out towards the end. Despite drawing five of their first six play-off matches, Chris Coleman's side still had an outside chance of finishing top of the Conference League Group. However four defeats in their last four matches condemned OH to last place in the group. Chris Coleman took over at the end of November, yet reports are stating that the club want to bring in David Hubert to take charge, as they don't feel Coleman is the right man to lead the team further. Advertisement In the Belgian Cup, they made it to the quarter-final stage, before being knocked out by Club Brugge. Player of the Season: Tobe Leysen Leuven struggled to find a consistent goalscorer this campaign but defensively they remained strong in many games. One of the key reasons for this was through the performances of goalkeeper Leysen. According to FotMob, he claimed nine man-of-the-match performances and kept 11 clean sheets throughout the course of the campaign. His most impressive statistic is the fact that he has prevented 9.42 goals. The 23-year-old has enjoyed the best season of his career so far, and Leuven will be glad to know that this summer they won't need a different number one. Young Player of the Season: Ezechiel Banzuzi The Dutch midfielder has imposed himself as a real presence in the Pro League and, as a result, has earned a move to RB Leipzig in a €16m move. This is record sale for Leuven, and it's no shock as to why. Banzuzi finished the campaign with two goals and five assists and won over half of his duels and aerial duels. As Banzuzi moves to Germany, Leuven will need to find someone who can fill that role in midfield. Summer Needs: As previously mentioned, Leuven have €16m to play around with following the sale of Banzuz, with a replacement being the utmost priority. They are currently linked with defender Seid Korac, a 23-year-old Luxembourg international. He plays for Serbian outfit Vojvodina, and would cost €1.5m. A big issue for OH this season was the lack of a consistent goalscorer, with only Siebe Schrijvers and Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi scoring more than four league goals. If Leuven want to push towards European qualification, a prolific talisman is a piece of the puzzle that they need. Grade: B- GBENeFN | Samuel Fabre
Metro
4 days ago
- Sport
- Metro
'I love that club so much' - Lille star wants Man Utd transfer
Lille defender Thomas Meunier has declared his love for Manchester United, saying he'd cycle all the way to England to complete the transfer. The Belgium international right-back has played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund. Meunier, who joined French club Lille in July 2024, has never tested himself in the Premier League – but if he could – he'd move straight to Old Trafford. At the age of 33, it seems unlikely that the defender's dream of playing for United will come true but that hasn't stopped him from being a huge fan. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. Meunier, capped 69 times by his country, told Belgian newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen: 'If they (Man Utd) ever ask me, I'll cycle there! 'But maybe it's better this way. Suppose I play there and have a bad time. I wouldn't want to hate Manchester United, because I love that club so much. 'I went to watch them a few weeks ago, against Bilbao. In with the fans, singing, à fond (fully). 'Je suis un vrai. (I am a real one). I go to watch them at least once every season. 'But of all the home games I've seen in all those years, they've only won two. You have to have a self cruelty side to be a United supporter, right?' It's not the first time Meunier has spoken of his admiration for United, also doing so when linked with a transfer back in 2019 when he was at PSG. During that interview, Meunier described United as a 'beautiful' and 'exceptional' club. Three years ago, Meunier once again had his heart set on a move to United but it never materialised and he ended up staying at Dortmund instead. Meunier has enjoyed success with a number of other clubs despite never playing for his beloved United. He won the Belgian Cup and Belgian Pro League with Club Brugge in 2015 and 2016 respectively. More Trending During his four-year stint at PSG from 2016 to 2020, Meunier clinched three Ligue 1 titles and two Coupe de France trophies. After a Champions League runner-up finish with PSG in 2020, he moved to Dortmund, helping the Bundesliga side land the German Cup in 2021. Following his four-year spell with Dortmund, Meunier had a brief stint at Turkish club Trabzonspor before joining Lille just over 12 months ago. He was named in the Marca/Forbes World Cup All-Star team in 2018, having helped Belgium to a third-placed finish at the tournament. MORE: Ange Postecoglou warned by former Tottenham star over Daniel Levy silence MORE: Ray Parlour tells 'great' Chelsea star to snub shock Arsenal transfer MORE: Man Utd make new Bryan Mbeumo offer with final warning to Brentford
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Manchester City make contact for Club Brugge midfielder
Manchester City have made contact with Club Brugge to discuss a deal to sign Ardon Jashari this summer. The defensive midfielder has caught the eye of leading clubs across Europe after an excellent season with the Belgian side. Jashari was named as the Jupiler Pro League Player of the Season this week after helping Brugge to Champions League qualification and the Belgian Cup. It was an impressive debut campaign for the midfielder after his arrival from Swiss side Luzern. Manchester City enter talks for Ardon Jashari signing West Ham, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund are also interested in the player, who is valued in excess of €35m (£29.3m) by the Belgian side. Sky Germany are reporting that Manchester City have opened talks with Club Brugge to discuss the conditions of a potential deal. Advertisement Pep Guardiola wants to reinforce his midfield, following a trophyless season at the Etihad. Rodri's long-term absence was felt after the Spaniard sustained an ACL injury in September, while the immediate futures of Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are unclear. Kevin De Bruyne's exit on a free transfer has already been confirmed, with the Belgian expected to join Napoli. City signed Nico Gonzalez from Porto in January but are keen to add depth to their options. The 22-year-old Jashari is a player of interest, following his standout season. Jashari ranked in the top 10% of midfielders in Belgium last season for completed passes, progressive passes, shot-creating actions and carries last season. Advertisement City have also been linked with deals for Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White and AC Milan's Tijjani Reijnders. Read – Our Premier League Team of the Season for 2024/25 See more – Premier League end-of-season awards for 2024/25 Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok
France 24
25-05-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Union Saint-Gilloise end 90-year Belgian title drought
They finished three points clear of defending champions Club Brugge, held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Antwerp, at the close of the the playoff between the six best teams from the regular season. USG qualify directly for the group stage of next season's Champions League when they will have to stage matches away from the Joseph Marien Stadium, their home since 1919. The 9,000-seat stadium's Art Deco-style facade may have earned it a place on the Brussels heritage list, but the ground perched on the wooded hills of Forest, one of the 19 municipalities of the Belgian capital, does not meet UEFA standards. "I know many who wondered if they would ever win a title again and who have since died. It's them I'm thinking of," said the 76-year-old former club president and former mayor of Saint-Gilles, Charles Picque. The club, founded in 1897, won the Belgian league 11 times between 1904 and 1935 but experienced a long period of decline, dropping to the fourth division in the late 1970s, and struggling to survive financially. One fan, Patrick, 57, on Sunday described the period as "the descent into hell." USG was bought in 2018 by Tony Bloom, who is also chairman of Premier League Brighton and fellow Englishman Alex Muzio, who has since become majority shareholder and chairman. The club returned to the top flight in 2021 after a 48-year absence. The "Old Lady" narrowly missed the title in each of the last three seasons. In 2023 they led the table until the 89th minute of the final matchday. They conceded three late goals to Club Brugge while Toby Alderweireld scored an injury-time equaliser to lift Antwerp to the title. Last season, they won the Belgian Cup for the first time since 1914 and reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where they were eliminated by Bayer Leverkusen, the eventual finalists, but they blew an eight-point lead in the league and finished second by one point. Sebastien Pocognoli, a 37-year-old Belgian who played a season on loan at Bloom's Brighton in 2016-17, took over as coach. "For me, Union represents the true spirit of football, just like in England. Win or lose, we support the club!" said Paty, a British expat who became a supporter "charmed by the friendly atmosphere."
Ya Biladi
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Ya Biladi
Moroccan Star Chemsdine Talbi shines in Brugge's Belgian Cup triumph
Club Brugge secured its 12th Belgian Cup title on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over Anderlecht, thanks to a brace from Romeo Vermant (40th, 61st minute). Despite a late goal from Luis Vázquez (90+1), the Brussels side fell short once again, marking their third loss in a Belgian Cup final after previous defeats in 2015 and 2022. Amid the celebrations, one face stood out: Chemsdine Talbi. The Moroccan international of Belgian origin celebrated the win with emotion, as shown in a heartfelt post on his Instagram account. Talbi's season, however, has been marked by ups and downs—particularly following his decision to represent Morocco at the international level. Despite a strong start, his playing time has significantly decreased, raising questions about his future at the Flemish club. According to Africafoot, several European and Gulf clubs have expressed interest in Talbi. Napoli, RB Leipzig, and Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as Saudi clubs Al-Hilal and Al-Qadisiyah, are reportedly eyeing the 21-year-old ahead of the summer transfer window. Club Brugge is said to have set his price at €30 million.
