RSCA Futsal restarts with a double challenge in 48 hours
WEDNESDAY, 7 JANUARY 2026, 10:00 - emjomi
OTHER After a break of more than two weeks, RSCA Futsal is back in the competition. The Brussels club will play two matches in just 48 hours before the season takes a month-long break for the European Championships. Technical manager Lieven Baert himself calls this situation a “crazy calendar.” The return begins on Wednesday with a trip to Sint-Niklaas, a third division team, in the Belgian Cup.
Two days later, the Brussels derby is scheduled at RWDM's home ground. An unusual coincidence, but Baert does not see it as an excuse: the core team has 18 players and only Lucas Perin is still missing — he is expected to return in February.
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Continue reading This is not the first time that RSCA Futsal has had to deal with an overloaded schedule. Earlier this season, the club played three matches in five days in the Champions League, a series that ended with a defeat against FT Antwerp. “That was one match too many,” Baert acknowledges, while believing that his team should have won under normal circumstances.
The cup match against Sint-Niklaas is seen as a warm-up, even though the opponent has already eliminated two second division clubs. The derby against RWDM promises to be more unpredictable: the Molenbeek team endured a real exodus during the winter transfer window. Anderlecht won the first leg 14-0, but Baert remains cautious. He does expect massive support from the purple and white supporters, who often turn away games into semi-home matches.
Even though the competition has been suspended for a month, there will be no shortage of work for Anderlecht's management. The contract with sponsor Alfasun has expired. Negotiations for a new naming rights deal are underway, but RSCA wants a market-based fee. Eight players are approaching the end of their contracts, and negotiations are difficult as long as qualification for the Champions League is not certain. Baert also acknowledges that Belgium is struggling to attract the best European players, who prefer more attractive leagues such as France or Poland.
