INTERVIEWS After former chairman Wouter Vandenhaute, coach Besnik Hasi is now also under fire from some Anderlecht fans. On Tuesday evening, during the cup match against Ninove, his name was greeted for the first time with boos and chants of "Hasi out!" The pressure on the 53-year-old coach is mounting. But is that justified? We asked three Anderlecht icons: Olivier Deschacht, Walter Baseggio, and Philippe Albert.
Olivier Deschacht, who played 603 matches and won nine league titles for Anderlecht between 2001 and 2018, is defending his former teammate and coach. "I'm a fan of Hasi. He's human, open to discussion, and a great person to work with. It's a shame he can't quite instill the same grit he has in the players. That over-my-dead-dead mentality seems to be missing."
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Continue reading "It's not the coach, but the policymakers who need to look in the mirror." Walter Baseggio, who played for Anderlecht between 1996 and 2008, also defends Hasi. "It's always easy to blame the coach. Of course, he bears his share of responsibility, but the real problem lies deeper. The sporting directors decided on the transfers. Not signing a replacement for Dolberg, not bringing in an experienced defender... that's not Hasi's fault."
Poor transfers, little grit The new signings – Hatenboer, Keita, Saliba, Llansana, and Özcan – haven't added any value yet. Bertaccini and Camara have been given some respite due to injuries, but the overall picture remains bleak. According to Deschacht, the young players also lack fire: "After a defeat, they turn the page too quickly. There's no progression, no hunger."
"Who then?" Philippe Albert, former defender and now analyst, also sees few alternatives. "Who should they take? There's no one on the market. Perhaps Hein Vanhaezebrouck as a replacement, but he hasn't been on a club for a year and a half, and his previous stints at Genk and Anderlecht weren't successful. So it's easy to call for Hasi to leave, but harder to find a better alternative."
One thing is clear: Saturday's match against KV Mechelen will be a crucial moment. Only a victory can calm the storm surrounding Hasi – for now.
