GAMES Mihajlo Cvetkovic emerged as one of Anderlecht's standouts after coming off the bench. The Serbian forward brought extra energy, found the net and helped spark the turnaround against Hammarby. Still, he was keen above all to praise the collective effort. “After the break, things were much better. Read more »
GAMES Anderlecht have secured their place in the third qualifying round of the Europa League at the expense of Hammarby. The Purple and White beat the Swedes 3-1 after the first leg had ended 1-1. Before the break, Hammarby had the game under control, but immediately after half-time the match turned. The game began disastrously for Anderlecht. Read more »
OTHER On the eve of the return leg against Hammarby, Marco Kana comes across as determined. For the Anderlecht midfielder, qualification is the only goal, and last year's elimination against Häcken must serve as motivation. He stresses: “That must not happen again.” In Sweden, Anderlecht showed a far more convincing side than in recent months, with more character and intensity. Kana is pleased that this change is also visible from the outside: in his view, the group has the qualities needed to hurt Hammarby and gain the upper hand in this two-legged tie. Read more »
OTHER Anderlecht has not given up on the transfer of Ștefan Baiaram after all. According to reports in the Romanian press, Anderlecht and Universitatea Craiova are set to resume negotiations following this week's European second-leg match.
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TRANSFERS Anderlecht have announced the arrival of Oliver Antman. The Finnish winger has signed a four-year contract, with an option for a fifth season. “Antman is a fast and creative wide attacker who can operate on either flank,” the club said. According to The Scottish Sun, Anderlecht are paying £4.5 million for the Finland international, which works out at €5.25 million. Read more »
TRANSFERS According to the Czech media outlet inFotbal, Anderlecht is closely monitoring the situation surrounding Adam Karabec. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder is preparing to return to Sparta Prague following his loan spell at Olympique Lyonnais. The player, looking for more playing time, would be open to a transfer to Belgium. Karabec, who can play both as an attacking midfielder and a right winger, had an inconsistent season in Lyon: he played 34 matches and recorded 3 goals and 3 assists. Read more »
OTHER Anderlecht unveiled its new away kit for this season on Thursday evening. It is a sober white shirt that refers to the 1976 jersey, when the purple-and-white side won its first European trophy. The Adidas logo on the chest is also from that period. “Fifty years ago, Anderlecht made football history. Read more »
TRANSFERS Anderlecht has officially announced the transfer of Luis Vazquez to Birmingham City FC. Birmingham will compete in The Championship, the second tier of English football, next season. The Argentine is making a permanent move. Vazquez, 25, joined from Boca Juniors in 2023 and proved to be a solid replacement for Dolberg in his first season. Read more »
INJURIES Anderlecht has undergone a complete metamorphosis this summer. With Antoine Sibierski as sporting director and Vitor Bruno as coach, a largely new structure is set to guide the purple and white back to success. If you compare Anderlecht with the side of a year ago, there is hardly anything left that looks familiar. Not only on the pitch, but especially behind the scenes, much has changed. Read more »
INJURIES Yari Verschaeren (25) has been an official free agent for a month now, but the former Anderlecht midfielder still hasn't found a new club. Read more »
INJURIES RSC Anderlecht can count on a packed Lotto Park on Thursday. The European clash with Hammarby is completely sold out. Purple and White will therefore receive the backing of the maximum number of supporters in their bid to secure a place in the next qualifying round of the Europa League. Interest in the European tie is huge. Read more »
TRANSFERS According to transfer journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Anderlecht has resumed talks with Union Touarga over a move for Tawfik Bentayeb. The 24-year-old Moroccan striker is no stranger to Antoine Sibierski: last season he scored 18 times for Troyes, Sibierski's former club. Troyes had Bentayeb on loan from Touarga in Morocco. The season before that, he also played in Ligue 2 on loan, then at Rodez, where he found the net 10 times. Read more »
OTHER Former Anderlecht player Massimo Bruno has retired from football at the age of 32. He announced the news on Instagram a short while ago. Bruno broke through at Anderlecht at the age of 19 under coach John van den Brom. Afterwards, he never quite managed to live up to expectations. Read more »
TRANSFERS The next name to surface as a possible reinforcement is Frenchman Alan Virginius (23) of Young Boys Bern. Virginius remains under contract until 2029, however, and the Swiss club do not really want to let him go. Virginius is hoping for a move this summer, especially since he had verbally agreed as much with his club. But Young Boys Bern appear to have changed their stance, as the club had already turned down interest from Genoa. Read more »
TRANSFERS Speaking to Omrop Fryslân, Johan Hansma, technical manager of SC Heerenveen, confirmed the club's interest in Cedric Hatenboer. Last week, Heerenveen saw midfielder Joris van Overeem make the move to FC Utrecht, and Hatenboer is one of the players who could replace him at the Frisian club. Read more »
1B - YOUTH In their second preseason match, Anderlecht's U23 team secured an away victory at Helmond Sport. The young Purple & Whites won 0-1 thanks to an early goal by Pape Aliya Ndao. Read more »
DAMES The RSCA Women secured an away victory in Amsterdam, where they defeated Ajax 1-2 in a preseason match. Despite a quick start by the home team, the Anderlecht players showed great control and efficiency to turn the tide before halftime. Read more »
YOUTH According to media reports, RSCA is negotiating contract extensions for three young talents: Jayden Onia Seke, Noa Ojea Cobiella, and Noah Kalonji. Joshua Nga Kana recently extended his contract through June 2029. Cresus Kana will also turn fifteen in December; a first professional contract is waiting for him on his birthday, and Anderlecht fervently hopes that he will actually sign it. Read more »
OTHER Anas Tajaouart has been loaned to La Louvière for this season; the club also holds an option to buy the player. The young midfielder, who came up through the ranks at Neerpede, sees this as an opportunity to get more playing time. He believes the move to a Pro League team is a step forward, rather than staying in the Challenger Pro League for another season. He adds that it was time for him to move on from the Challenger Pro League. Read more »
GAMES Danilo Nikolic has been appointed as referee for the return leg against Hammarby in the Europa League. He will be assisted by assistant referees Milan Sutulovic and Svetozar Zivin. The fourth official is Nikola Radakovic, while the VAR will be overseen by Momcilo Markovic and Alexandar Zivkovic. Anderlecht against Hammarby kicks off on Thursday 30 July at 8.30 pm at Lotto Park. Read more »
TRANSFERS Anderlecht are reportedly looking for a new left-back to support Ludwig Augustinsson and have set their sights on Logi Tomasson. Tomasson is a 25-year-old Iceland international, with 16 caps and one goal for his country. He plays for Samsunspor, where he is a regular starter under coach Thorsten Fink. In last season's Süper Lig, he made 29 appearances, scoring once and providing four assists. Read more »
GAMES In his first match in charge of Anderlecht from the bench, Vitor Bruno experienced a mixed evening in Stockholm. His side seemed for a long time to be on course for a promising victory, until Nathan Saliba's dismissal and a late Hammarby equaliser still spoiled the party. After the match, Bruno made no attempt to hide his frustration: “I'm mainly disappointed. Even with ten men, we had everything under control, but that avoidable goal still goes in.” The Portuguese coach did want to stress the collective performance: “I'm very proud of what we showed after barely five weeks of preparation, against the second-placed team in Sweden.” On the footballing side, Bruno acknowledged that his side found things difficult after the opening goal: “After our 1-0, we struggled with their build-up play. Read more »
TRANSFERS According to certain sources, RSCA are said to be interested in David Doudera, who is under contract with Slavia Prague. The 28-year-old Czech plays at right-back and can also operate as a right or left midfielder. Doudera featured in 29 matches across all competitions last season, scoring once and providing five assists. For the Czech Republic, he has earned 18 caps, in which he scored twice and set up four goals. Read more »
TRANSFERS RSC Anderlecht have made an offer for Stefan Baiaram, but it was rejected by Universitatea Craiova. The Brussels club showed strong interest in the player, but after internal discussions, the dossier has reportedly been shelved, according to the press. The purple-and-white side is now turning its attention to other targets to strengthen the squad. Read more »
GAMES Anderlecht drew 1-1 away at Hammarby. It looked to be heading for a 0-1 win, but after Saliba was shown a second yellow card in the 77th minute, the purple-and-white side were forced back and the Swedes were able to equalise in the closing stages. It is a dangerous result ahead of the return leg, although this ‘experimental' Anderlecht side, with three 17-year-olds given a chance, still appears to have a real shot at eliminating the Swedes. After Kana immediately lost possession in the opening phase and Pétrot had to intervene, Anderlecht recovered very quickly. Read more »
OTHER The Disciplinary Council of the Belgian Football Association (KBVB) has today decided to annul the ruling at first instance. That ruling had barred Anderlecht supporters from attending the away match at Union, following the incidents after last season's Belgian Cup final. After Anderlecht's appeal, the Council has now decided that the original decision wrongly affected all supporters indiscriminately, including those acting in good faith: “Such a ban affects not only the club, but also the supporters who genuinely care about their team...” A €10,000 fine was not waived. Read more »
YOUTH The return of Jean Kindermans and Frédéric Delooz to the helm of the RSCA Academy is beginning with yet more reshuffling. Just a month after the support structure devised by Tim Borguet was put in place, Anderlecht is once again revising the organisation of several youth teams. Borguet is leaving the club. Stability remains elusive. Read more »
GAMES Anderlecht have submitted their A list and B list for the first European tie against Hammarby, although they still have until Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. to add one more player to the A list. The B list includes players born after January 1, 2005, who have been with the club continuously for two years. There is no limit on the number of players on this list, but it must be submitted every time. Read more »
GAMES Three weeks after their adventure at the 2026 World Cup, Nathan Saliba and César “Chino” Huerta have once again settled in at Lotto Park. The pair return to Brussels with a suitcase full of unique memories, extra motivation and the urge to help the Purple & White move straight towards the European group stages. For both players, the World Cup was especially memorable, as the tournament took place on familiar ground. Nathan Saliba defended Canada's honour and speaks of immense pride at being able to play in front of his own people and his family. Read more »
OTHER If Anderlecht manage to avoid the tricky obstacle of Hammarby in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, they will face either PAOK Thessaloniki or Dynamo Kyiv. On paper, that is not too bad, as Anderlecht are unseeded and could have drawn a tougher opponent. PAOK finished third in the Greek league, while Kyiv qualified as Ukrainian Cup winners. Kyiv started one round earlier and beat Cluj on penalties. Read more »
1B - GAMES RSCA Futures opened their new campaign with a spectacular draw away at K Lyra-Lierse. In a match designed as an extensive test of the squad, Jelle Coen opted to field a different starting eleven in each half. The purple and white side quickly took control thanks to a dynamic and inspired first half. Driven by a strong Enzo Sternal, who scored twice, the RSCA Futures made the difference. Read more »
GAMES Antoine Sibierski has made his decision: Nathan Saliba is also set to be one of Anderlecht's key figures next season. Still, the purple and white side realise that an exceptional transfer offer could yet upset those plans. After his World Cup commitments, the Canadian international has returned to Neerpede, giving coach Vitor Bruno extra options for the important European two-legged tie against Hammarby. Although it remains uncertain whether Saliba will start immediately, he is expected to develop into one of the team's pillars this season. Read more »
OTHER Anderlecht is keeping a close eye on the condition of the pitch at Lotto Park in the build-up to the second leg against Hammarby in the second qualifying round of the Europa League. On Thursday, July 30, the purple and white will host the Swedes, but the field is still not in ideal condition. For a moment, a move to the King Baudouin Stadium was considered, although that option has since been definitively ruled out. The problems stem from the second phase of the extensive renovation of the playing surface, a €1.3 million investment that began last year. Read more »
YOUTH Anderlecht had until midnight yesterday to submit its Europa League squad lists to UEFA, ahead of the two-legged tie with Hammarby in the second qualifying round. The Brussels club must file two separate lists. The A list may contain up to 25 players and must include at least eight players developed in the club's own youth academy. There is also a B list, on which an unlimited number of young talents from the club's academy can be included. Read more »
INJURIES Cedric Hatenboer will also be unavailable for the European trip to Hammarby. The Dutchman broke his nose in training and will need surgery. Hatenboer joins the injury list, which already includes Camara, Hey and Sardella. It would not be a complex fracture, but an operation is indeed required to put the nose back in the right place. Read more »
OTHER As has become customary in recent years, there is once again plenty of movement in Anderlecht's staff. CEO Sports Tim Borguet and CEO Non-Sports Isabelle Vanden Eede are leaving the club. Following the return of Jean Kindermans, Frédéric Delooz will once again take up the role of Head of Coaching. Borguet worked for the Mauves for six seasons. Read more »
GAMES Anderlecht concluded its final warm-up ahead of Hammarby with a win. It beat Dutch side AZ 1-0, with Sikan scoring the decisive goal from distance in the 73rd minute. Next week, Anderlecht travel to Sweden, where they will immediately face a serious test in the second qualifying round of the Europa League. Hammarby are already deep into the season, while Anderlecht have so far mainly seen players depart and are relying heavily on a number of youngsters, including Onia Seke and Ojea, who took charge of the flanks. Read more »
TRANSFERS The next player Anderlecht are set to let go is Anas Tajaouart (20). The Moroccan midfielder is more than likely heading to La Louvière. According to Sacha Tavolieri, an agreement has already been reached between both clubs. It concerns a loan deal with an option to buy. Read more »
INJURIES According to Bild, Anderlecht and Schalke 04 are close to reaching an agreement over the future of Moussa Ndiaye. RSCA had asked for around €4 million for a permanent transfer, but Schalke do not have the financial means this summer to put that amount on the table. To address that situation, both clubs are working on an alternative: a new loan spell for Ndiaye at Schalke 04, this time with a mandatory purchase option that would be activated in the summer of 2027. That structure would allow Schalke to spread the expense over several budget years, while Anderlecht would be guaranteed a substantial return in the medium term. Read more »
TRANSFERS Joshua Nga Kana has extended his contract at Anderlecht. The 17-year-old central midfielder is now tied to the purple-and-white club until 2029. Nga Kana is regarded as one of the biggest talents on the verge of making the breakthrough. Read more »
TRANSFERS Youri Tielemans is leaving Aston Villa for Manchester United. The transfer is worth around €41 million. Tielemans is now 29. His former clubs will also benefit from the deal. Read more »
TRANSFERS Thorgan Hazard has, as expected, signed a contract with RC Lens, the club where he made his professional debut. Hazard was a free agent after his contract with Anderlecht was not renewed. He has signed until 2028. Hazard made 98 appearances for Anderlecht, registering 21 assists and scoring 21 goals. Read more »
TRANSFERS Ali Maamar can count on foreign interest. The 21-year-old Moroccan-Belgian wing-back, who alternated between the bench and the starting line-up last season, is reportedly attracting interest from FC Twente and Olympique Lyon, according to foreign reports. His strong performances for Morocco's youth teams are said to be playing a role in that interest. Both Twente and Lyon are understood to have already made contact with Maamar. Read more »
FLASHBACK The Red Devils, on July 14, 2018, washed away their bitter elimination in the semi-finals against France by securing bronze at the World Cup in Russia—their best finish ever. At that time, the Belgian national team had a strong connection with Anderlecht. Dries Mertens, Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans, Leander Dendoncker, Vincent Kompany, Michy Batshuayi, and Adnan Januzaj all have a purple-and-white past. Read more »
FLASHBACK Belgium Participates in the First World Cup in 1930 in Uruguay Belgium took part in the very first World Cup in 1930, held in Uruguay. The Belgian team traveled to Latin America on the same ship as two other European teams. However, the Belgians indulged quite a bit during the journey, and several players arrived carrying extra weight. Read more »
OTHER As the summer transfer window gathers pace, Anderlecht appears to have clearly identified its next attacking priority: Stefan Baiaram, the Romanian winger from Universitatea Craiova. Anderlecht is said to have already tabled a bid of €4 million, an amount the Romanian club considers insufficient. Craiova are reportedly asking for €5 million. The 22-year-old Baiaram has developed into one of the most promising players in his league. Read more »
TRANSFERS The transfer of 22-year-old Czech playmaker Lukas Ambros is now a fact. Ambros joins from Polish side Górnik Zabrze and has signed a contract until 2030, with an option for an extra season. Ambros is a left-footed, creative midfielder who completed his development at Wolfsburg. After a loan spell at Freiburg, Ambros moved to Poland in 2024, where he won the cup with Górnik Zabrze. Read more »
TRANSFERS Anderlecht have announced the transfer of Nathan De Cat to Hoffenheim. The midfielder, who is almost 18, had already made clear for some time that his preference was for the German club, where he passed his medical yesterday. Anderlecht say De Cat is the third most expensive outgoing transfer in the club's history. De Cat still had a contract until June 2027, but it had long been clear that this would not be extended. Read more »
TRANSFERS According to Romanian journalist Emanuel Rosu, Anderlecht is showing more than just casual interest in Ștefan Baiaram, a winger for Universitatea Craiova. The Purple & White reportedly scouted Baiaram tonight during Craiova's European match. Rosu also reports that talks have already taken place. Read more »
INJURIES VfL Wolfsburg's interest in Killian Sardella has taken a serious hit after the defender picked up an injury, transfer journalist Sacha Tavolieri reports. A move seemed to be in the making yesterday, but it has since emerged that Sardella has suffered a tear in his quadriceps muscle. Read more »
OTHER It's all but done: Nathan De Cat successfully completed his medical tests at Hoffenheim today. That is according to transfer journalist Sacha Tavolieri. All that remains now is for the final signatures to be put on paper. Those signatures — and the official announcement — will most likely have to wait until July 19, the day De Cat turns 18. Read more »
TRANSFERS With only a few details left to be ironed out, the deal between Anderlecht, Hoffenheim and Nathan De Cat is nearly complete. Het Nieuwsblad has learned from German sources that Hoffenheim will pay a fixed transfer fee of €17 million. A further €6 million in bonuses could be added to that amount. According to transfer journalist Sacha Tavolieri, the conditions for those bonuses should be relatively easy to meet. Read more »
TRANSFERS According to Sacha Tavolieri, Wolfsburg are pushing hard for Killian Sardella. The defender still has a contract at Anderlecht and the club would like to extend it, but the player's financial demands are said to be too high for the purple-and-white side. Wolfsburg will play in the 2. Bundesliga next season following their relegation. Read more »
TRANSFERS The transfer of Nathan De Cat to TSG Hoffenheim appears to be entering a decisive phase. The Bundesliga club has made an offer of more than 20 million euros, while Anderlecht are aiming for a fixed transfer fee of 25 million euros, supplemented by a sell-on clause. Both sides seem to be gradually moving closer to an agreement. The 17-year-old midfielder, who is currently training individually at the team's camp in Tubize because of an abdominal muscle injury, has made clear his preference for a move to Hoffenheim. Read more »
GAMES The World Cup for César Huerta and Mexico is over. The Mexicans were knocked out by England overnight, losing 2-3, but they can leave the tournament with their heads held high. Huerta did not come off the bench in this match. Read more »
GAMES Anderlecht were held to a 0-0 draw this afternoon in a friendly against US Boulogne, a French second-division side. Coach Vitor Bruno started with a 4-4-2, using Danylo Sikan and Mihajlo Cvetkovi? together up front. After the break, he switched to a 4-3-3. The Purple & White created plenty of chances before half-time, but failed to score. Read more »
YOUTH Midfielder Devon De Corte is leaving RSCA Futures for good to embark on an adventure in the Dutch second division. The 20-year-old American-Belgian player, who joined from Philadelphia Union in 2023 and played 58 matches for the Brussels reserves, is making a permanent move to FC Den Bosch. Read more »
TRANSFERS Anderlecht is not the only club currently pushing to secure Nathan De Cat's signature. According to transfer journalist Sacha Tavolieri, German side Hoffenheim have submitted an opening bid of €15.5 million to Anderlecht. Talks between Anderlecht and Hoffenheim are said to be intense, Tavolieri reports. There is not yet any agreement with the player himself. Read more »
TRANSFERS Nathan De Cat will be sidelined for around three weeks with the muscle injury he sustained a few days ago, Het Nieuwsblad and La Dernière Heure report. In principle, he should therefore be fit for the European ties against Hammarby. At least, that is if he is still an Anderlecht player by then, although that possibility now appears to be growing again. Both newspapers also write that sporting director Antoine Sibierski is doing everything he can to secure an extension for De Cat's contract. Read more »
TRANSFERS In response to Het Nieuwsblad's report that Anderlecht would be showing interest in Thomas Meunier, the club later in the day formally told the newspaper that the report was incorrect. Purple-and-white may instead be casting its eye on other right-sided defenders. After Ilay Camara went down with a broken foot and will be sidelined for two months, Anderlecht is looking for a replacement. Read more »
TRANSFERS Anderlecht has just announced the arrival of Léo Pétrot. The 29-year-old Frenchman is a central defender and has signed a two-year contract. He joins from Spanish top-flight side Elche. He is the second summer signing for the Purple and Whites. Read more »
INTERVIEWS Théo Leoni looks back on his first season at Reims with a good feeling, despite missing out on promotion to Ligue 1. The midfielder established himself as a regular starter, providing seven assists in the league and adding one assist and two goals in the Coupe de France. The 25-year-old Belgian says the move has brought back his joy for football. At Anderlecht, under coach Besnik Hasi, he felt increasingly sidelined, to the point where his enjoyment of the game also faded. Read more »
TRANSFERS Thomas Meunier may be set to continue his career in the Jupiler Pro League. The 34-year-old right-back is a free agent after his contract with Lille expired and is attracting interest from several Belgian top clubs. Anderlecht has meanwhile taken concrete steps. Following the injury to Ilay Camara, who will be sidelined for several weeks with a fractured foot, the Brussels club is looking for extra depth on the right wing. Read more »
