"Already a year of resentment between Kindermans and Vandenhaute"

OTHER Yesterday's Sjotcast, Het Nieuwsblad's Monday football podcast, includes the more than likely dismissal of Jean Kindermans at Anderlecht. In it, chief football officer Ludo Vandewalle comes up with a possible explanation for Kindermans' departure.


"There would be serious differences of opinion between the board, and we may mention the name of Wouter Vandenhaute, and Kindermans about the way of approach. We have been hearing that for some time. The first time I heard that was a year ago," Kindermans says.

"It is of course the case, and I think that is what bothers Vandenhaute, that many of the players who break through have already reached their ceiling by then. Take Yari Verschaeren, for example. He broke through at 17, 18 years old, but then turned out to lack an element in his character, namely that winner's mentality and an absolute will to go for it. There are more players like that. You can also see Amuzu among them."

"If you start focusing on that, that will possibly be the reason to say 'we might have to adjust our youth training a bit after all'. There will then be discussions about that. Kindermans will then point to guys like Lukaku and Doku that the training produced, while Vandenhaute will then say 'look at Amuzu, Verschaeren, Kana Sardella, ... they all stick around'. Apparently they do lack that extra something."

Whether that is also with certainty the reason for Kindermans' dismissal, Vandewalle cannot say. "If the board does have comments, I hope we will hear them if it is effectively true that Kindermans has to go. Because it remains a strange intervention."

"No idea where Anderlecht wants to go"

For podcast presenter and football journalist Lars Godeau, a dismissal of Kindermans is already indicative of the current Anderlecht: "It is a symptom of the policy that is currently being pursued. I have no idea where Anderlecht currently wants to go. Are they working in the short term or in the long term? What is the basis of the current philosophy?"