Latest news with #StandardLiege
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Union St Gilloise and Schalke 04 head coach top of Standard Liege's wish list
Het Nieuwbslad are reporting that Karel Geraerts is the top candidate for the vacancy at Standard Liege. Yesterday the sides most recent head coach, Ivan Leko, left to join fellow Pro League side Gent. Geraerts, who played for Standard back in the 2000s, is currently available after leaving Schalke 04 earlier in the 2024/2025 season. Geraerts has already shown he can be successful as a head coach in the Pro League. He had Union St Gilloise involved in the 2022/2023 title race, a title that was ultimately won by Antwerp. That was his first season as a head coach, but at the end of the campaign he left the Brussels club. During his time with Union he won 35 games, drew 11 and lost 11. At Schalke he did not fair as well, with 12 wins, seven draws and 14 defeats in the 2. Bundesliga. During his time in Germany he worked with Marc Wilmots, who has since become sporting director at Standard Liege. GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson
The National
29-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Balikwisha Celtic door opened as Antwerp aim to 'generate money'
The Scottish Premiership champions have long been linked with a move for the winger, who scored four goals and assisted three in 17 games last season. He missed 29 matches of the campaign through injury. Read more: Antwerp are currently enduring financial issues, and their main aim this summer is to 'generate money' and 'drastically reduce costs', according to As a result, they are looking to sell Balikwisha, Mahamdou Doumbia, Senne Lammens and Zeno Van Den Bosch, from whom they 'hope' to make a total of €30 million. Balikwisha is about to enter the final year of his contract. He joined Antwerp in 2021 from Standard Liege. The 24-year-old hinted earlier this year that he could move on this summer: "Without the injuries I have had this season, I probably wouldn't be at Antwerp anymore," said Balikwisha. "I suffered a meniscus in the 2024 winter transfer window. And last summer, Celtic, Lille and Lens came knocking and I was out again at a bad time. "I don't know whether I will leave this summer. The chairman and Marc Overmars will be in charge of that in the coming weeks. How I end the play-offs will determine a lot. "If I continue on this path with the way I am playing, things can go quickly. And if it turns our tomorrow that my Antwerp story is coming to an end, then I hope to sign elsewhere in time, so that I can play a farewell match to the fans."
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Schumacher looking forward to 'positive' relationship with new sporting director
STEVEN Schumacher says incoming sporting director Fergal Harkin has made a positive impression on him in the early days of preparation for next season. Though there is no professional connection between the head coach and the man coming into head up the football department, there has already been plenty of dialogue with a promotion push in mind. Harkin will be officially in-post on Monday at the Toughsheet Stadium after seeing out his contract with Belgian giants Standard Liege, where he has worked for the last three years. The Irishman's arrival should move Bolton's recruitment drive up a gear too, with Schumacher already outlining the type of player he feel can push the Whites on from a disappointing campaign. 'I'm really looking forward to working with him,' he told The Bolton News. 'We have been in regular contact even though he has been over there, but we're both looking forward to getting started properly. 'I think we know what the plan looks like and what players will help us in this squad, and we have a good idea of what we want to try and recruit. 'But we're realistic as well. It's never easy, it's never straightforward, other clubs go for good players as well and you never get it all your own way, but we have to make sure we jobs" target="_blank">work hard enough to get the ones we want.' Schumacher has worked under a sporting director or similar in both of his previous manager roles at Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City, albeit with different levels of success. And despite not having any great amount of history, he is optimistic, however, that he and Harkin can forge a successful partnership. 'I don't really know him but I have only done my background research, seen what his career has looked like and spoken to people who have worked with him,' he said. 'All that information has been positive, he's highly experienced, he's been in this role before and his CV is brilliant. 'I might not know him all that well yet but I am sure as the weeks and months to come that will change, and it's important we can have that good relationship for the good of the club.' Though there has been some pre-planning on transfers, nothing at Wanderers has yet gone behind the conversation stage, with the summer window opening a fortnight on Sunday. Clubs can, if both are in agreement, advertise deals that will be officially ratified at the start of the window – and Bolton fans may recall Jack Iredale's signing from Cambridge United being announced on May 9 a few years ago. At present, Wanderers are working through their own staff restructure away from the pitch, but Schumacher is hopeful he can get plenty of business done by the time the players return to the training ground at the end of next month. 'It's always better when you can get business done early because it gives you more time to work with those players and let them know what your ideas are,' he said. 'The more forward-thinking and proactive you can be, the better. But again it's never as easy as writing it down on paper or just saying it, sometimes it's just not possible. Your best signings can be your last one, and again I have had some experience of that in the past. 'You have to be patient. You need a plan and don't deviate from it, then hopefully you will be OK.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bolton Wanderers sporting director Fergal Harkin sets starting date for new post
FERGAL Harkin is expected to take up his role as Bolton Wanderers' new sporting director after his final game at Standard Liege this weekend. The Belgian press claim Saturday's game against FCV Dender will be his last in post, after which former Belgium international Marc Wilmots will be installed as his replacement. Irishman Harkin played for Leicester City and Bohemians before moving into marketing with Nike and then spending a successful decade with Manchester City. Before taking up the job with Standard, he was strongly linked with the director of football job at Celtic and his appointment at Wanderers was described as a 'momentous occasion' by chairman Sharon Brittan when it was confirmed in March. Harkin will oversee all football operations, including player recruitment, academy development, scouting, sports science and performance analysis at Wanderers, working with head coach Steven Schumacher and his incoming head of recruitment, Jimmy Dickinson. Though he will only be in office from early next week, Harkin has already liaised closely with Schumacher about the type of players that are needed to push Bolton to the top of League One. 'We've been in regular contact for a while now,' Schumacher told The Bolton News. 'Any head coach or manager has got to have a clear idea of how they want their team to play and we'll recruit to a certain system, we will try and get profiles of players who we think play in that system and help the team. 'We also have to recruit for some future planning too – we need some youth in this squad. We also need some experience. We'll have our hands all over it. 'But I enjoy that side of it, we can't wait to get going.' Pre-season is already taking shape, with Wanderers expected to convene at the end of June for pre-season testing, followed by a training camp, with details yet to be confirmed. The likes of Josh Sheehan, Eoin Toal, Will Forrester, Aaron Morley and Jordi Osei-Tutu are expected to be free from the injuries which curtailed their season, and there has not yet been any confirmation on Kyle Dempsey or Carlos Mendes Gomes. Victor Adeboyejo is unlikely to figure until the tail end of the year. The pre-season fixture schedule is also nearly complete, leaving Schumacher to push on with plans to strengthen the squad. 'Pretty much pre-season is organised,' he said. 'Knowing a couple of weeks ago that we are where we are, there wouldn't be a play-off game to extend it all, it has given us more time to plan things. 'We sat down with the sports science and medical team and figured out what the pre-season would look like. The fixtures are getting there or thereabouts, we know when we are going on the trip, so the next thing is recruitment. 'Nothing can happen right at this moment but the conversations and the planning on how we attack it is well underway.' Asked of his own plans for a summer break, Schumacher admitted the workload doesn't make it easy. He added: 'I'll have a week or two with the family trying to switch off but I can honestly say I never do, the phone never stops, it's what I love and why I do this job. 'I've got an understanding wife, she's one of the best – or the best I've ever had, anyway!'
![Orlando Pirates Mohau Nkota on move [video]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesouthafrican.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F05%2FGneoAQjXAAAoEe4.jpeg.optimal.jpeg&w=3840&q=100)
![Orlando Pirates Mohau Nkota on move [video]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fthesouthafrican.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
The South African
13-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Orlando Pirates Mohau Nkota on move [video]
Watch the full version of the ' Orlando Pirates prodigy wanted in Europe – Latest' article – in a minute. Mohau Nkota is a reported target for Belgian side Standard Liege, who have been admirers of the 20-year-old since he starred for the DDC side. The talented inverted winger has become one of the first names on the team sheet under Jose Riveiro. He's got 34 appearances to his name across all competitions this term, with six goals and four assists. 'The interest started when he was still in the DDC, and they wanted him even without trials. Now they are just making a follow-up on that interest,' an insider told Soccer Laduma . 'They have been monitoring him ever since, and now they are believed to have made more enquiries because they have been impressed with his performances since the first time they saw him.' According to Soccer-Laduma , Sekhukhune left-back Vuyo Letlapa is poised for a move to Nice in France's Ligue 1. The 21-year-old has made 22 league appearances this term with four assists. Looking for quick updates? Watch News in a Minute videos on The South African's YouTube page for all the key stories you need to know! Catch all the latest videos on news, lifestyle, travel, sports and more – there's always something to watch! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky to stay connected and get your news on the go!
