Struggling Anderlecht Turn To Old Boy Kompany

Swapping the silverware-smelting works that are Manchester City for the role of player-coach at his old Anderlecht stomping ground, Vincent Kompany will be only too aware of the enormity of the challenge he faces at the Brussels club.

- Nick Bidwell

Anderlecht is, to put it bluntly, a wreck at the moment. Once Belgium’s number one side by a country mile, and renowned for their continental trophy exploits in the 1970s and 1980s, Les Mauves simply no longer inspire the same awe-struck respect. This season they could only finish sixth in the league and next term they must do without European football for the first time in 56 years.

Their squad is not good enough to compete for trophies in Belgium, let alone Europe, and money for new signings is tight. Just to make matters worse, the police recently raided the club offices in an investigation into alleged money-laundering and dubious transfers.