New York City FC today announce that it has loaned forward Jovan Mijatovic to Oud-Heverlee (OH) Leuven of the Belgian Pro League through June 30 The Serbian forward arrived ahead of the 2024 season and made 17 appearances and scored a goal across all competitions for New York City The forward played a role in the club’s Leagues Cup quarterfinal run where he contributed with his first goal with the club and scored in the shootout against Mexican side F.C “We know Jovan is a super talented player with vast European experience we are all disappointed with his lack of playing time but know the level he is capable of reaching,” said Sporting Director David Lee “At this moment we believe that allowing Jovan to be exposed to play a key part in a competitive environment in Belgium’s top division will help further his development We look forward to following Jovan in Belgium the rest of the season and wish him all the best.” Mijatovic returns to Europe where prior to New York City the forward had amassed 95 professional career appearances most recently with Serbian club Red Star Belgrade in addition to UEFA Champions League and Europa League experience “I would like to thank everyone at New York City for welcoming me to the club last season Although we didn’t have the season I would have wanted I am excited at the opportunity to return to Europe and continue to work on my craft,” said forward Jovan Mijatović staff and my teammates; I wish them all the best as they start the new season.” Mijatović was called up by Serbia’s U-21 while with New York City The forward made four appearances and provided a goal and assist between a friendly and UEFA Euro U-21 Championship qualifying Transaction: New York City FC loan forward Jovan Mijatovic to OH Leuven through June 30 The wantaway striker got his desired move away from New York City FC officially joining Belgium's OH Leuven on loan through the end of June Jovan Mijatović said he was "waiting for Europe right now" earlier this month, and on January's final day, he got his desired move away from New York City FC. The 19-year-old striker is officially joining OH Leuven on loan through June 30 This departure has been almost a forgone conclusion since Mijatović was announced as absent from NYCFC's preseason preparations, with the team claiming he was "currently in Europe completing a training stint." That always felt like a thinly veiled confirmation that Mijatović wouldn't be returning to MLS for a second season The highly-regarded striker joined NYCFC in February 2024 for a reported $8.6 million transfer fee one of the most expensive players ever purchased by New York City Yet Mijatović's 2024 season was not a good one with the young forward making only 15 appearances totaling 434 minutes of game time in all competitions for NYCFC Mijatović also played twice at Belson Stadium for NYCFC II during the US Open Cup failing to register a goal or assist against a pair of USL Championship teams His winter has been a chaotic one, as Mijatović also struck a pedestrian with his car on a Belgrade street and left her in critical condition. That was followed up by a swirl of transfer rumors with teams like PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands and RSC Anderlecht in Belgium mentioned as having potential interest Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany also indicated Bundesliga clubs had an eye on Mijatović, though Tom Bogert also reports that City Football Group was hesitant to loan Mijatović out with a purchase option included in any loan deal CFG is said to still highly value Mijatović despite the rough year in New York City they preferred a straight loan with no buy-option so they could hold onto the teenager they recently paid multiple millions of dollars to sign NYCFC now find themselves down one striker though Alonso Martínez and Mounsef Bakrar look set to remain and be expected to carry the load at the No 9 Mijatović arrived promising to score many goals but never found his shooting boots in MLS His tenure with NYCFC was not a smooth one and included a mysterious absence caused by work visa complications his grandmother publicly complaining about his playing time on Instagram and Jovan himself posting cryptic things on social media about his lack of minutes He'll now join OH Leuven in Belgium looking to re-establish himself as one of the next great young strikers coming out of Europe He won't be remembered that way for his performances with NYCFC but maybe things will go more smoothly for him in Belgium OH Leuven don't have the cachet of Anderlecht Located in the 10th-largest city in Belgium OH Leuven currently sit 12th in the 16-team Juplier Pro League You can read the full release from New York City FC announcing Mijatović's departure below Your fuego source for 2025 NYCFC transfer news and sketchy tweets before the MLS transfer window closes The biggest things to know about 26-year-old Australian midfielder Aiden O'Neill who just joined NYCFC on a contract through the 2028 season brings experience and leadership to the New York City midfield The 26-year-old Australian midfielder will move from Belgium's Standard Liege to NYCFC for a reported €2.5 million transfer fee A lethal low strike from Julián Fernández and a strong showing from a shorthanded defense propelled New York City FC to a 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati at Citi Field The stalemate was almost broken by 14-year-old McKenna Whitham of Gotham FC but the game finished scoreless as Chicago Stars FC go home with a point Thoughts on New York City FC's second straight win and the potential to make it a three-match streak next weekend A first-half goal from Julián Fernández set the tone as New York City won their fifth game of the season on a rainy Sunday in Queens New York City FC have loaned striker Jovan Mijatović to Belgian Pro League side Oud-Heverlee Leuven through June 2025 The 19-year-old Serbian youth international joined NYCFC in February 2024 from Red Star Belgrade as a U22 Initiative signing He scored one goal in 17 appearances across all competitions during his debut MLS season "We're pleased that we have been able to find a destination in Europe at a competitive level in Belgium's top division for Jovan to play regular football which is critical for his continued development at this age," said NYCFC sporting director David Lee "While last season did not materialize how we all hoped Jovan is still very young and a talented player with a lot of potential and we believe this loan will help him develop We're looking forward to following Jovan with OH Leuven for the remainder of the season and wish him all the best." With the deal, Costa Rican international Alonso Martínez and Algerian international Mounsef Bakrar are NYCFC's top remaining strikers Martínez scored a team-leading 18 goals across all competitions in 2024 Mijatović is NYCFC's second player to go on loan this winter, following homegrown midfielder James Sands' move to German Bundesliga side FC St. Pauli Now led by head coach Pascal Jansen, the Cityzens begin their 2025 season on Feb. 22 at defending Supporters' Shield champions Inter Miami CF (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass) READ MORE: MLS Transfer Tracker presented by Avant Westerlo managed to draw Oud-Heverlee Leuven at home on Saturday The two teams eventually left with a 2–2 draw on the second day of the Jupiler Pro League’s Europe play-off who had lost their first match at Dender 1–0 moved to 5th place in the playoffs with a total of 20 points who followed a second share after the home draw against Charleroi the Louvanists found the goal twice in six minutes Westerlo reacted quickly: Griffin Yow first narrowed the gap with an assist from Sayyadmanesh (62nd) and Alfie Devine levelled the score (75th) New York City FC have loaned forward Jovan Mijatovic to Belgium’s Oud-Heverlee Leuven The deal announced Friday for the 19-year-old Serbian international runs through June 30 Mijatovic made his MLS debut in 2024 and recorded 17 appearances across all competitions He scored his first goal in a Leagues Cup match against Cincinnati on Aug “We’re pleased that we have been able to find a destination in Europe at a competitive level in Belgium’s top division for Jovan to play regular football which is critical for his continued development at this age,” NYCFC sporting director David Lee said Trinity Armstrong bounced in a header in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time as the host San Diego Wave FC won their third straight National Women’s Soccer League match,… Sporting Kansas City became the first team in MLS history to win a match without a shot attempt as they defeated the defending champion Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 on a… Julian Fernandez scored his second goal of the season early on and New York City FC held on for a 1-0 victory over visiting FC Cincinnati on Sunday Sporting Kansas City beats Galaxy without taking a shot New York City FC ends FC Cincinnati’s winning streak Stars keeper Alyssa Naeher preserves draw vs. Gotham Cristian Espinoza scores twice as Earthquake dump Timbers © 2025 Field Level Media. All Rights Reserved. This is 6 of the First Division A Playoff Conference League Group Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match The current head to head record for the teams are OH Leuven 8 win(s) OH Leuven haven't lost to Standard Liege in their last 5 meetings (3W, 2D). Have scored 4 goals in their last 5 matches Haven't kept a clean sheet in 5 matches 26 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT?OH Leuven vs Standard Liege on Sat 26 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT ended in a 1–1 tie.InsightsHave scored 8 goals in their last 5 matches OH Leuven haven't lost to Standard Liege in their last 5 meetings (3W OH Leuven is playing home against Standard Liege at King Power at Den Dreef Stadion on Sat and what general strategy will take place with the club during this season Serbian forward Jovan Mijatović transferred to Oud-Heverlee Leuven, a Belgian Pro League club, until June 2025. Although it is the usual, mundane transfer news, this move begets several questions about NYCFC's planning regarding the player Follow MLS Multiplex on X (Twitter). NYCFC justified it with a practical argument: giving more minutes to a promising young talent who didn't get the expected opportunities in the 2024 MLS season But is this loan truly a positive step for Mijatović or is it a sign that the club has already lost patience The Serbian forward joined NYCFC in February of 2024 from Red Star Belgrade under the U22 Initiative a roster mechanism that allowed teams to secure young international signings while keeping their roster spending trim it made a lot of sense: acquire a talented Serbia striker-a nation known for rearing top class talent-and phase him into a squad but did he get enough playing time to show what he is capable of Was there a real chance for him to adjust to MLS a league known for its physicality and high intensity Which brings up a very important point: not every young player will shine right from the beginning NYCFC seems unwilling to wait for that natural process Sporting director David Lee explained such a decision by underlining that regular minutes in Belgium would be important for Mijatović's development after all: the Belgian Pro League has been a stepping stone to better things for many a young talent But when a player is loaned out so quickly after arriving it generally suggests that the club is already considering other options going forward NYCFC could always recall Mijatović if he goes on to excel at OH Leuven the most likely scenario is a permanent transfer Mijatović isn't the only NYCFC player being sent out on loan this winter strengthening the notion that the club is tweaking its roster without a tangible vision for long-term success With Mijatović temporarily out of the picture Alonso Martínez and Mounsef Bakrar are now leading the NYCFC attack while Bakrar has shown flashes of promise but is still proving himself at this level That leaves NYCFC with a thin attacking unit-a precarious position especially with injuries and suspensions likely to mix things up easily Does the team have enough depth to handle a long season Biggest question to be made from this move: Did NYCFC ever believe in Mijatović's potential or was he signed without having a viable long-term project in place he's already being loaned out without a real opportunity to prove himself or simply an admission of poor judgment regarding the signing © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Follow MLS Multiplex on X (Twitter). NYCFC justified it with a practical argument: giving more minutes to a promising young talent who didn't get the expected opportunities in the 2024 MLS season. But is this loan truly a positive step for Mijatović, or is it a sign that the club has already lost patience? The Serbian forward joined NYCFC in February of 2024 from Red Star Belgrade under the U22 Initiative, a roster mechanism that allowed teams to secure young international signings while keeping their roster spending trim. On paper, it made a lot of sense: acquire a talented Serbia striker-a nation known for rearing top class talent-and phase him into a squad. However, it simply did not happen that way at all. Mijatović scored just once in 17 matches. Not a big number for an attacking player, but did he get enough playing time to show what he is capable of? Was there a real chance for him to adjust to MLS, a league known for its physicality and high intensity? Which brings up a very important point: not every young player will shine right from the beginning. Some need time, trust, and a system that fits their strengths. NYCFC seems unwilling to wait for that natural process. Sporting director David Lee explained such a decision by underlining that regular minutes in Belgium would be important for Mijatović's development. That makes sense, after all: the Belgian Pro League has been a stepping stone to better things for many a young talent. But when a player is loaned out so quickly after arriving, it generally suggests that the club is already considering other options going forward. NYCFC could always recall Mijatović if he goes on to excel at OH Leuven. If he fails to impress, though, the most likely scenario is a permanent transfer. Adding to the ambiguity, Mijatović isn't the only NYCFC player being sent out on loan this winter. James Sands went on loan to St. Pauli in Bundesliga 2 as well, strengthening the notion that the club is tweaking its roster without a tangible vision for long-term success. With Mijatović temporarily out of the picture, Alonso Martínez and Mounsef Bakrar are now leading the NYCFC attack. Martínez, with 18 goals, was the team's top scorer in 2024, while Bakrar has shown flashes of promise but is still proving himself at this level. That leaves NYCFC with a thin attacking unit-a precarious position, especially with injuries and suspensions likely to mix things up easily. Does the team have enough depth to handle a long season? Biggest question to be made from this move: Did NYCFC ever believe in Mijatović's potential, or was he signed without having a viable long-term project in place? He came in as a development project, yet less than a year later, he's already being loaned out without a real opportunity to prove himself. Was it a move too quick, or simply an admission of poor judgment regarding the signing? Jovan Mijatović struggled in MLS, and now he’s off to OH Leuven Sie haben erfolgreich Ihre Einwilligung in die Nutzung von Transfermarkt mit Tracking und Cookies widerrufen Sie können sich jetzt zwischen dem Contentpass-Abo und der Nutzung mit personalisierter Werbung Belgium - February 2025 - On Sunday 2 February Nilesh Dodiyar and Fred Wamare were ordained deacons by Bishop Luc Van Looy Among those present were also many young people from Don Bosco schools and oratories ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007 This site also uses third-party cookies to improve user experience and for statistical purposes By scrolling through this page or by clicking on any of its elements West Ham United women’s team defender Amber Tysiak is hopeful that she and her teammates can improve on last term’s eleventh-place finish in the Barclays WSL as the fresh campaign gets into full swing The 24-year-old played 20 times across all competitions during 2023/24 her first full season in Claret and Blue after joining from Oud-Heverlee Leuven in January 2023 An injury disrupted Tysiak’s first four months in east London so last season felt like a major step for the defender who had previously combined playing football semi-professionally with her career as a teacher The Belgium international has represented her country on 23 occasions at senior level and has a growing influence on both the national team and West Ham as she continues to mature as a player Tysiak was part of the Hammers squad that travelled to Australia for the women’s team’s first ever pre-season tour as they took part in the inaugural Perth International Football Cup competition in the summer and played against Paris Saint-Germain and Leicester City at HBF Park The ten-day trip Down Under allowed the Irons to experience a different environment and also gave them solid preparation ahead of the new season Tysiak believes it will help them as they move through the opening few weeks and we had the great experience of going out to Australia It was my first time out of Europe and the first time I had to travel such a long distance We were able to work hard on the training pitches play two really competitive matches and then we also had opportunities to see a little bit of a new country as well “It allowed all of us to spend time together as a team in a new environment and I believe it helped bring us all closer together.”  “We all want to do better than we did last season in the league,” she added “We know that we have the quality this season to improve on where we finished last year and I feel as though the togetherness we have within will help us to achieve that I want to try and help the team as much as I can I want to play as many minutes as possible this season and continue to develop as a player we all know that we’re building in the right direction and it’s just about being consistent across the season and I think once we’ve had a little bit of time to gel First game you watched live as a supporter?  I can’t remember exactly what game it was and when I would have gone with my older brother to watch a game probably when I was about eight or nine years old I had an Italy jersey with his name on the back and my brother had one with Fabio Cannavaro on the back I was more of an attacker before I moved back into defence hence why we liked Totti and Cannavaro so much I tried having a pair of Nike Mercurials back in the day I had a lot of injuries during my time there and he was very patient and supported me a lot He really helped me to keep going and ultimately he’s a big reason as to why I’m playing professional football today My first professional game would have been my debut for Belgium against the Netherlands This was in February 2021 and it was a friendly game but I remember thinking in the game that this was the level I wanted to play at regularly and that I had a lot of steps to take before I could do so My first professional goals came against Armenia in a World Cup qualifier Site designed & built by Other Media, powered by Clubcast The current head to head record for the teams are OH Leuven 3 win(s) Mathieu Maertens has the most shots on target per match for OH Leuven (1.4) Ezechiel Banzuzi has created the most big chances for OH Leuven (4) Have scored 8 goals in their last 5 matches Have conceded the most penalties this season (5) Beerschot haven't lost to OH Leuven in their last 9 meetings (7W, 2D). 27 Dec 2024 17:30:00 GMT?OH Leuven won 2–0 over Beerschot on Fri 27 Dec 2024 17:30:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 7 goals in their last 5 matches Beerschot haven't lost to OH Leuven in their last 9 meetings (7W OH Leuven is playing home against Beerschot at King Power at Den Dreef Stadion on Fri The current head to head record for the teams are OH Leuven 6 win(s) Haven't scored in their last 2 matches Thibaud Verlinden has the most shots on target per match for OH Leuven (1.2) Have scored 10 goals in their last 5 matches Have conceded the most penalties this season (10) Andrés Ferrari has the most shots on target per match for St.Truiden (1.7) 16 Mar 2025 17:30:00 GMT?OH Leuven won 3–2 over St.Truiden on Sun 16 Mar 2025 17:30:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 5 goals in their last 5 matches OH Leuven is playing home against St.Truiden at King Power at Den Dreef Stadion on Sun The current head to head record for the teams are Royal Antwerp 7 win(s) Royal Antwerp haven't lost to OH Leuven in their last 8 meetings (4W, 4D). Tjaronn Chery is ranked 3 in big chances created in the competition (12) William Balikwisha has created the most big chances for OH Leuven (5) 22 Feb 2025 19:45:00 GMT?Royal Antwerp vs OH Leuven on Sat 22 Feb 2025 19:45:00 GMT ended in a 2–2 tie.InsightsHave scored 7 goals in their last 5 matches Royal Antwerp haven't lost to OH Leuven in their last 8 meetings (4W Royal Antwerp is playing home against OH Leuven at Bosuilstadion on Sat Europe Play-offs: Westerlo vs FC Dender - Full Match | Belgian Pro League 2024/25 Europe Play-offs: Westerlo vs FC Dender - Highlights | Belgian Pro League 2024/25 Europe Play-offs: Charleroi vs FC Dender - Highlights | Belgian Pro League 2024/25 Europe Play-offs: Charleroi vs FC Dender - Full Match | Belgian Pro League 2024/25 Europe Play-offs: FC Dender vs Charleroi - Highlights | Belgian Pro League 2024/25 Europe Play-offs: Charleroi vs FC Dender - Highlights | Belgian Pro League 2024/25 Europe Play-offs: FC Dender vs Charleroi - Highlights | Belgian Pro League 2024/25 Europe Play-offs: Oud-Heverlee Leuven vs FC Dender - Highlights | Belgian Pro League 2024/25 Europe Play-offs: Charleroi vs FC Dender - Full Match | Belgian Pro League 2024/25 Europe Play-offs: FC Dender vs Charleroi - Full Match | Belgian Pro League 2024/25 Europe Play-offs: Oud-Heverlee Leuven vs FC Dender - Full Match | Belgian Pro League 2024/25 Luka Vuskovic remains a standout performer for Westerlo, where he has been honing his craft since signing for Tottenham Hotspur two summers ago The young Croatian centre-back has been impressing As the season progresses, his performances continue to fuel speculation over his potential inclusion in Tottenham’s first-team squad this summer However, at just 18 years old, the jump to the Premier League is a massive one with the physical demands of England’s top flight a significant hurdle to overcome As his return to north London edges closer the Croatian youngster continues to impress and his latest outing may well be one of his finest yet While he has been making headlines for his goal-scoring exploits this time he delivered a commanding defensive display the centre-back helped Westerlo keep a crucial clean sheet It is his third-highest-ever rating in Westerlo colours the only performances surpassing this have come when Vuskovic has scored a goal – thus inflating his score The result keeps Westerlo’s hopes of avoiding relegation alive, and Vuskovic’s performance will have done his reputation no harm as he looks to convince Spurs’ coaching staff that he is ready for the step up The young defender was one of the standout performers in the match with only midfielder Haspolat achieving a higher rating of 8.4 The Tottenham loanee was the most accurate passer among players who featured for 45 minutes or more while also dominating defensively by winning 11 duels Of course, there have been concerns among Spurs fans about whether Vuskovic had the defensive nous to complement his technical ability This performance goes a long way to proving he is more than just a ball-playing centre-half—he can put in a commanding defensive shift when required As his loan spell nears its end, Tottenham will soon have a decision to make. If he keeps delivering performances like this, he will certainly give the Spurs hierarchy something to think about The 22-year-old striker signed a three-year contract with Leuven paying €1.8 million for the transfer and will wear jersey number 19 at his new club https://www.donegallive.ie/section/1196/advertise-with-us All the latest breaking local news from Donegal Keep up to date with the latest sports news Read the latest crime and court news from Donegal County Donegal - Donegal Live Donegal Now Donegal Democrat Donegal Post Donegal Peoples Press Finn Valley Inishowen Read all the latest Irish news and updates from around Ireland Find whats happening in and around Donegal Enjoy our award winning photos and picture galleries taken in Donegal Gaeilge Irish Language Erse Gaelic Donegal Live Donegal Now Donegal Democrat Donegal Post Donegal Peoples Press Finn Valley Read about the latest properties available in Donegal Recent death notices and obituaries from Donegal Latest environmental and climate change news in County Donegal Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter Support our mission and join our community now you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism Amber Barrett was on the scoresheet again at the weekend Amber Barrett continued her fine recent form with a goal for Standard Liege at the weekend The Milford woman scored her 16th goal of the season, her seventh in her last seven outings, in a 3-0 win over Oud-Heverlee Leuven. Barrett marked her 50th appearance for the Republic of Ireland with a late goal against Greece in a 4-0 win in Crete before opening the scoring to set up a 2-1 win against the same opposition from the penalty spot in Tallaght last week in the Nations League Barrett returned to Belgium and her goal keeps Standard third in the Belgian Women’s Super League Standard are seven points behind the leaders Read next: Mona McSharry bags gold at Irish Open - and books ticket to World Championships Standard face Anderlecht in the Belgian Cup final " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g please subscribe and support local journalism Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news Gardai say the young girl was competing in an event at the Cork Autograss Racing Club when her vehicle crashed The scene at Doagh Famine Village on Saturday evening Photos: Tony McBride / Online Video Productions Captains Ristéard Ó Gallabhóir Sean Ó Maille and referee Cathal Boland Captains Seamus Ó Fearaigh and Sean Ross Ó Ludhog alongside referee Connie Doherty A day in the life of a children’s residential care worker at Ashdale Care Minster Alan Dillon at the opening of the new offices The opticians are delighted to welcome onboard their new Practice Manager Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie First up for Club Brugge in this new year is a Belgian Cup tie with OHL The Round of 8 is where Club Brugge and Oud-Heverlee Leuven are set to chime in the new year Just twelve days after that spectacular last-gasp win against KVC Westerlo at home (4-3) Club will be manning the pitch at the occasion of the Belgian Cup The past 9 first games of the new year resulted in a win for Club on 7 occasions Only in 2023 (3-1 defeat at Genk) and 2019 (0-1 at home vs Charleroi) Club went down Club has made it to the Round of 8; only once did it not proceed to the Semis (in 2021 Ever since the Belgian Cup has been restructured in 1963 Club qualified for the Round of 8 30 times in 62 Club went past the following hurdles in order to reach this stage: The Belgian Cup stage has only seen the two teams compete once before goals by Charles De Ketelaere and Éder Balanta in the first half; after the break only to see Noa Lang and Hans Vanaken further widen the gap to make it 4-1 on the night the two teams faced each other for the first time this season; Club won by the narrowest of margins at OHL A win for Club against OHL would make the winning streak against OHL grow to ten units (7W 2D) Top scorer in this season's Croky Cup is Ferran Jutglà (2 goals); so far 8 different players have made their way to the score line for Club Bjorn Meijer and Hans Vanaken assisted twice Hans Vanaken added two more to his tally at Patro making it a tenth Cup goal in ten seaons at Club What's even more remarkable is that he scored his first two goals at Club back in 2015 also at Eisden's Gemeentelijk Sportstadion The game against Oud-Heverlee Leuven could be his 50th Cup tie in his carreer In between the posts in the past two Cup rounds Nordin Jackers could be facing his former employer should he be selected again tonight having completed a run of 14 unbeaten games in a row Will Club be able to continue along those lines in the new year Tonight's winner will be facing the winner of the Limburg derby: STVV or Genk with the first leg scheduled next week on Wednesday With 6 games planned in January at this point Club has equalled the record of most games in January of 1986 and 2021 Qualifying for the Semis would make it the busiest first month ever for Club Oud-Heverlee Leuven will be Club's first opponent at Jan Breydel in the new year The team bid farewell to coach Óscar García in November and appointed Chris Coleman as his successor: Oud-Heverlee Leuven is in 11th place with 25 points In order to make it to tonight's tie with Club OH Leuven went past two Challenger Pro League teams: Youssef Maziz and Óscar Gil have helped their team towards a goal twice OHL harbours quite a lot of players with a past at Club For Leuven it will be the third time in four cup campaigns that the team has made it to the Round of 8 but both in 2022 (vs Club Brugge) and in 2024 (vs Antwerp)  the Cup dreams grounded to a halt at this stage A win against Club Brugge would mean the team has made it to the Semis for the first time in its history 2D and 3L (33 goals scored and 16 against)Cup: 1 duel 1W (4 goals scored and 1 against).TOTAL: 18 duels Lothar D'Hondt has been appointed as referee for this first game of 2025 backed by Vito Di Vincenzo and Carlos-Manuel Serra Guerreiro Alho D'Hondt will be in charge of an official game involving Club Brugge In 10 earlier home games with him in charge drew twice and suffered defeat on two occasions For OH Leuven this will be the 20th official game with Mr Just once was the ref in charge of a game involving both teams Club won its league game aan Den Dreef  0-3 Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date about your favourite Club Become a member off the country's biggest supporter family Don't miss any important updates about your favourite Club The requested URL was not found on this server United have signed Venezuelan goalkeeper Rafael Romo from Oud-Heverlee Leuven (OH Leuven) in the Belgian first division on a one-and-a-half-year contract through 2023 with an option in 2024 Romo will join the Black-and-Red pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC) “Rafael is an experienced goalkeeper that will help solidify our depth at the goalkeeper position,” Dave Kasper “We look forward to integrating him with the group in the coming week.”  Romo joins the Black-and-Red after spending the previous two seasons with OH Leuven in Belgium after joining from Silkeborg IF in Denmark on Aug The 32-year-old made his debut with the side against KV Ooestende in league play on Sept the goalkeeper has recorded seven clean sheets in 48 appearances for the side His most recent appearance was on April 10 “We’ve been monitoring Rafael for a good period of time and we’re happy to bring in a player with as much professional experience as his,” Lucy Rushton “We believe he will be a great addition to our current group of goalkeepers providing additional healthy competition to the group We want to welcome him to the District and look forward to having him at the club.” Romo has made 223 professional appearances at various clubs and has recorded 61 clean sheets in 19,829 minutes played The goalkeeper has also made 13 appearances for the Venezuela National Team with his debut coming in the 4-1 win against Syria in an International Friendly on Aug He has appeared twice in World Cup Qualifiers with his most recent appearance coming in the 1-0 loss to Ecuador on Nov Romo started his professional career when he signed with Llaneros de Guanare EF in Venezuela in 2008 After recording four shutouts in 15 matches Romo signed with the Udinese academy side in the Italian first division (Serie A) Romo went on various loans to clubs including Estudiantes (Venezuela) and Watford (England) before being signed by AEL Limassol in the Cyprus first division on July 8 After recording 15 clean sheets in 34 appearances in the 2016/17 season Romo was signed by APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus on July 1 He immediately was loaned to Beerschot V.A with Romo recording 15 clean sheets in 42 total appearances with the club before returning to APOEL Nicosia at the conclusion of his loan on June 30 Romo played 13 games for Nicosia in the 2018/19 season and recorded six shutouts before signing with Silkeborg IF in Denmark on Sept recording four clean sheets in 39 games before signing with his previous club When the Power International Group took over Belgian second-tier club OH Leuven in 2016, there was certainly a quizzical reaction, from OHL fans and indeed, Leicester City supporters too Despite the fact King Power had transformed Leicester City from a Championship club into Premier League champions five and a half years after taking over many Leuven followers questioned the Thai company’s motives There was even more suspicion when King Power International took over Leicester in 2010 as the Srivaddhanaprabha family Why would a Thai businessman want to buy a club that had been in administration eight years before and just bounced back from dropping into the third tier for the first time there were no questions about their identity having led Leicester to that staggering Premier League title triumph of 2016 Any questions among Leicester fans about their motives had been answered after a programme of huge investment transformed the Midlands club there were still many who were reticent about foreign ownership clubs with foreign owners are looked at with a little suspension,” chief executive Peter Willems tells The Athletic “This is a club with a bit of history of sides fighting against each other in the boardroom (OHL were formed in 2002 by a merger between three clubs: Zwarte Duivels Oud-Heverlee they were sort of against some Flemish investors That caused a little bit of tension at the beginning after seeing what they have achieved at Leicester as a good example Now there is a lot of respect for King Power.” With late Leicester chairman Khun Vichai at the helm in England was installed as chairman in Leuven and initially there was a heavy Leicester influence at the Den Dreef Stadium Staff would frequently visit in advisory roles as their Belgian sister club moved to a more professional outfit Two of the ground staff who helped install OHL’s new hybrid grass pitch similar to the ones at King Power Stadium and at Leicester’s training ground enjoyed their experience so much they have remained at OHL permanently who worked closely with former Leicester head of recruitment Steve Walsh Leicester chief executive Susan Whelan and director of football Jon Rudkin have joined the OHL board media and ground staff were also seconded from Leicester there was some resistance to outside influence leading to a pledge from King Power that the club would eventually function with Belgian leadership Willems, a Leuven native, had a major role at UEFA in the marketing and sponsorship division and was living in Switzerland but he was persuaded to move back home to oversee the next phase of the project “It wasn’t returning home that was the factor — it was the project the King Power project to make this a big club in Belgium,” he says “I spoke to the owners about the project and that is what convinced me to come back for the personal challenge to try to make this a success “That (the amount of Leicester staff) was something that maybe caused a bit of friction with supporters from the beginning but it was always said we would install a Belgium management It took many months and if there was one per cent of friction but that has completely changed and we have a full Belgium management from top to bottom we needed the English people but they are the only ones left “We can still call upon the people of Leicester when we need the expertise The beauty of the relationship is that we can share knowledge.” The relationship between the two clubs has remained close now on loan at Oxford United in League One and Poland winger Bartosz Kapustka have spent loan spells at Leuven while 20-year-old Ghana midfielder Kamal Sowah has been with OHL since signing a professional contract with Leicester in 2018 The only player to move in the opposite direction has been striker George Hirst who left Sheffield Wednesday after being frozen out by the club following a contract dispute son of fan-favourite former Wednesday striker David Hirst had come through the club’s academy but after becoming a free agent was picked up by his dad’s old Hillsborough team-mate Nigel Pearson when he was OHL manager in 2018 After one season in Belgium, Hirst joined Leicester in an undisclosed deal and the England Under-20 international is now a regular scorer for their development squad Overseas clubs don’t have to pay the same level of compensation for former academy players as when they move between English clubs but Leicester hadn’t broken any rules by subsequently signing the former Wednesday youngster from OHL One of the goals for the Srivaddhanaprabha family when they took over Leicester was to try to improve the standard of football in their homeland and Thai national team goalkeeper Kawin Thamsatchanan joined OHL although he is now on loan at Japanese club Sapporo There has been cooperation between the two clubs but Willems insists OHL are not a feeder club for Leicester “It has never been said that there would be five or six players from Leicester and there would be an obligation to play them,” he says ‘Let’s find some good players for Leuven and if they are really good There is no point in sending players over who might not be good enough who we can’t guarantee game time.” Pearson was sacked in February 2019 with OHL facing a fight to stay in the second division. This season, with Belgian coach Vincent Euvrard in charge, OHL were just one game away from promotion back to the top flight before the coronavirus pandemic. Belgium’s second tier has a two-phase system and after winning the first Leuven are now in a play-off with Beerschot for promotion and the second leg was due to be played last weekend The city of Leuven owns both the stadium and training ground which is largely open to the public — Pearson would look on in bewilderment as dog walkers would wander past his training sessions — but that hasn’t stopped significant investment in from the owners in the facilities “There has been a lot that has changed from the first time I was here,” defender Kenneth Schuermans tells The Athletic We see it everywhere around the stadium and the fans appreciate it There are a lot of good players here now and King Power tell us we have to get promoted so you could argue it is lost money but it showcases the intent,” Willems adds “It is not just about players; it is a sustainable story The physical investment is more at the training ground but the changes there are top-level and I always say if we can get a potential player there “We knew something had to happen to save us,” says 67-year-old supporter Hortense Goemans whose brothers Edward and Andre played for Stade Leuven There were people against King Power and an owner from overseas but most of the supporters were for King Power They were glad they were here to save us and give us possibilities — not just financially but also the friendship “Two years ago, Leicester fans came here and I made a book of photos of the supporters and of when we went to Leicester. We met Leicester fans and we are in contact with them and we always get messages of good luck.” Leicester’s rise has been used as motivation at OHL Willems admits it would be another 5,000-1 miracle if they went on to win the Belgian title in their second top-flight season our ambition is not just to go to (Division) 1A — it is to play an important role there in the coming years,” adds Willems aware that OHL have never survived at that level longer than a couple of seasons “Winning the title in the second year I can’t predict but it is a nice story to aspire to They are not just here to develop a few players and hope to sell them next year and bugger off They have invested in the foundations of the club They invested in the people and the structure “Our ambition is to go to the first division and when we achieve that If they achieve the goal and fulfil the vision of Khun Vichai, it will be toasted at Leicester, none more so than by City midfielder Dennis Praet “It would be amazing and I would be very happy because I love Leuven,” Praet told The Athletic “They are progressing very well under King Power and it would be great if they made it to the first division They have been there but it has always been up and down but now “Leuven is most known for Stella Artois beer but hopefully !0th-placed Leuven are set to host ninth-placed KRC Genk at Den Reef in Belgium's Pro League on Saturday in each side's second league game of the 2023-24 campaign Last term, the home side finished 12th in the regular season with 29 points, while the visitors finished sixth with 47 points The hosts began their 2024-25 campaign with a 0-0 draw against Beerschot on July 27 a match they failed to win despite dominating many attacking metrics Leuven had nine shots and six attempts inside Beerschot's penalty area while also limiting their opponents to just one shot all game it should be noted that only two of these nine efforts were actually on target and they only had 49% possession on the day Manager Oscar Garcia has been in charge since November 2023 and took over when the club were in the relegation zone after 12 league games Garcia's side scored 34 goals and conceded 47 times in 30 regular season matches and this made them the division's 11th best offensive and best defensive team Leuven ended the season with four wins from their last six league fixtures at Den Reef although they did lose 2-1 last time at home against Westerlo on May 25 Opponents Genk also began their season with a 0-0 draw but the result against Standard Liege on July 28 will have been even more frustrating than Leuven's draw against Beerschot If there was one positive for manager Thorsten Fink to take away his side were defensively robust against Standard Liege considering they limited them to just four shots and one shot inside their penalty area Fink has only been in charge since June, and he took over from interim manager Domenico Olivieri, who himself replaced Wouter Vrancken following his side's disappointing championship playoffs campaign Fink's team scored 51 goals and conceded 31 times in the regular season and these were the division's sixth-best offensive and joint fourth-best defensive records respectively Genk's away form in the league was poor at the end of the 2023-24 season and they lost their last four matches on the road and won just twice in 11 away top-flight contests The hosts will once again be without midfielder Sofian Kiyine who has not played for the club since November Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi did not make an appearance for Leuven last week and could be subbed on in the second half if he is part of the matchday squad As for the visitors, they will without Luca Oyen due to a cruciate ligament injury, while Ken Nkuba was forced off in his side's last outing and is a doubt Elsewhere, Zakaria El Ouahdi and Bilal El Khannous are away at the Olympics with Morocco and will miss the weekend's game Leuven possible starting lineup:Leysen; Schingtienne Genk possible starting lineup:Penders; Sadick Genk's performance in their opening league game was strong and they should come into Saturday's clash as favourites With this in mind, the visitors could take advantage of Leuven's defensive vulnerability. For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi has linked up with Belgian club Oud-Heverlee Leuven on a permanent transfer The striker joined Leuven from Serie B outfit The 22-year-old signed a three-year contract with Leuven paying €1.8m to secure his services The Nigerian will wear jersey number 19 at his new club Ikwuemesi expressed his delight after signing the contract I will give everything for this shirt because I felt welcome here right away The people within the club give me a lot of confidence so I want to repay them with victories and goals,” he told the club’s official website The forward recorded three goals and two assists in 27 games for Salernitana last season Transfer: Mourinho signs another striker for Fenerbahce El-Kanemi Warriors ready for new season – Zubairu Transfer: Arsenal add Lookman to summer transfer shortlist Transfer: Three Premier League clubs scramble over Ndidi Transfer: Ndidi available to leave Leicester City for £9m release clause Transfer: Premier League giants battle for Lookman Transfer: AC Milan ready to offload Chukwueze in summer Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd Looking to build on a sensational 2023-24 campaign, newly-promoted Beerschot Wilrijk will lock horns with Leuven on the opening weekend of the Belgian Pro League season on Saturday evening De Kielse Ratten are back in the top flight of Belgian football following a short absence whilst OH are aiming to further establish themselves as a comfortable Pro League outfit Following a two-year stint outside of Belgian's elite footballing group Beerschot are back in the Pro League for the 2024-25 season after winning the Challenger League last season claiming their first-ever title since a name change at the beginning of 2019 Despite losing back-to-back games to SK Beveren and Patro Eisden at the conclusion of the term during the middle of April De Kielse Ratten still managed to gain possession of the second-tier crown finishing two points ahead of second-placed Dender and three points clear of Deinze in third Beerschot were not amazing at their Antwerp base during the 2023-24 campaign despite cantering to the title winning seven and collecting 25 points from 15 home matches a tally that five different sides in the division bettered including FC Liege and seventh-placed Lommel That being said, De Kielse Ratten have been mightily impressive overall since the arrival of former Liverpool and Feyenoord attacker Dirk Kuyt to the managerial hotseat in December 2023 with the 44-year-old faring well in his first coaching role since an ill-fated spell at ADO Den Haag Saturday's hosts have an excellent recent record in home contests against Leuven, with Beerschot enjoying a four-game winning streak in this particular fixture across all competitions, including a promotion-deciding victory in March 2020, when Tarik Tissoudali netted the only goal of the match Finishing 10th in the Pro League last season Leuven comfortably avoided trouble at the bottom of the top-flight standings and ensured a fifth straight season at this level representing the club's greatest-ever spell of Pro League continuation after their formation in 2002 Saturday's visitors have been busy this summer taking part in a number of pre-season clashes, with the most recent of those coming against Champions League-bound Lens last weekend, when a 103rd-minute strike from Wesley Said was enough to hand the Ligue 1 side victory Unlike during their days as a second-tier club in the late 2010s, Leuven boast a number of international stars in their ranks ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, one of which being Icelandic winger Jon Thorsteinsson who netted the winner for his nation against England at Wembley in early June The 25-year-old's seven Pro League goals last season are not to be sniffed at, but the talents of French attacker Youssef Maziz stole the headlines at the club in 2023-24 with the former Metz and RFC Seraing man scoring seven times and providing seven assists in 34 top-flight appearances Following the nomadic two decades in management taking him to Israel, England, Austria and France, Spaniard Oscar Garcia is now the man tasked with guiding Leuven towards a first-ever top-half finish in the Pro League Beerschot remain without the services of striker Ayouba Kosiah who sustained a serious cruciate ligament injury in October 2023 and is yet to fully recover De Kielse Ratten have an English star in their ranks to keep an eye on, with former Stoke City and Northampton Town D'Margio Wright-Phillips in line for his maiden top-flight appearance in senior football Leuven are expected to be without attacker Jonatan Brunes this weekend with the 23-year-old Norwegian picking up an injury during the latter stages of last season Sofian Kiyine's two-year spell at Leuven has been severely hindered by fitness issues and the midfielder is not set to be ready for the start of the Pro League term this weekend Signing for a seven-figure fee from Italian outfit Salernitana, Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi is preparing to make his debut for the visitors on Saturday afternoon Beerschot Wilrijk possible starting lineup:Matijas; Plat Leuven possible starting lineup:Leysen; Pletinckx Back in the Pro League after two years away Beerschot should be greeted by an excellent home atmosphere at Olympisch Stadion on Saturday evening Leuven will be targeting a clash with the newly-promoted side as a good chance to collect maximum points, but we feel that the visitors will have to settle for a share of the spoils in this one.For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here. The requested URL was not found on this server. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match. The current head to head record for the teams are FCV Dender EH 1 win(s), OH Leuven 1 win(s), and 3 draw(s). Haven't kept a clean sheet in 6 matches Aurélien Scheidler has the most shots on target per match for FCV Dender EH (1.2) Thibaud Verlinden has the most shots on target per match for OH Leuven (1.1) Thibaud Verlinden has created the most big chances for OH Leuven (6) DENDER Football ComplexNewsWho will win?X‌‌‌About the matchFCV Dender EH is playing home against OH Leuven at DENDER Football Complex on Sun This is 8 of the First Division A Playoff Conference League Group The current head to head record for the teams are FCV Dender EH 1 win(s) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Soccer Laduma (@soccer_laduma) Local International Off The Pitch Podcasts & Videos A Belgian striker has become the latest player from Europe to be linked with a move to the PSL as clubs are keen to reinforce their squads with quality signings.While it might be too late for Josh Eppiah to make a PSL move now in January as the transfer window is set to close tomorrow there are plans for a possible deal later in Mzansi for the Belgian attacker Read: Maswanganyi's Brace Keeps Pirates' NBK Cup Defence Alive  Eppiah is currently a free agent after parting ways with Amazonas FC in the Brazilian Serie B Having come through the development ranks at Leicester City in England where he played for the U18 and U21 teams respectively Eppiah went on to feature for Oud-Heverlee Leuven in Belgium as well as Northampton Town in England's fourth division Read: Chiefs Assistant Coach Makes Bold Soweto Derby Claim  For the first time playing on African soil the 25-year-old would be open to a PSL move "There are plans to get him (Eppiah) a club in the PSL and he is keen Some of the clubs have already been contacted but there is no deal yet on the table but it (a move) could be for the future as the transfer window is now towards the end," said the source.   For all your exclusive football content and breaking news, join our WhatsApp Channel here. Follow him here on Facebook here on X is close to completing a move to Belgian club Ikwuemesi is expected to have his medicals ahead of the move on Monday (today) The 21-year-old will put pen to paper on a three-year contract The former Flying Eagles star linked up with Salernitana from Slovenian PrvaLiga club He scored one goal in 25 league appearances for the Garnets Beach Soccer AFCONQ: Supersand Eagles to host Mauritania in Kaduna Transfer: He’s important – Ten Hag refuses to allow Man Utd star leave Old Trafford Sint-Truiden and Leuven meet on Friday evening merely playing for pride having already missed out on European qualification although Gent have already secured top spot in the playoffs these two Belgian Pro League sides are still in the running for the runner-up position When these two sides ended the regular season there was an 11-point gap in favour of Sint-Truiden who finished as high as ninth and Leuven down in 12th the visitors on Friday only avoided dropping into the relegation playoff on goal difference an indication of the gulf in class between the teams Sint-Truiden have underperformed in their quest for continental qualification going on a five-game winless streak to push that target out of their reach Momentum had been in the favour having salvaged a 3-3 draw at home to Standard Liege but losing to Leuven in the reverse fixture and Gent in the following match dented their hopes who have already qualified for a European playoff tie with either Cercle Brugge or Genk On a positive note, Thorsten Fink's side did record a 2-1 victory over Mechelen last time out ensuring they moved to within one point of the second-placed outfit they have impressively won four of their last six encounters to also remain in the hunt for second place only losing to Mechelen during that period Oscar Garcia may have lost 11 of his 27 matches since taking charge in November but there are signs that the Spaniard is starting to make an impact Leuven have conceded just three goals in their other most recent six fixtures one of three clean sheets coming in a victory at Gent on Sunday With Sint-Truiden having finally ended their winless streak Fink appears likely to retain the same starting lineup from the Mechelen fixture Fatih Kaya, Rihito Yamamoto and Wolke Janssens were all introduced with 17 minutes left in that contest but may have to make do with a spot among the replacements Attacker Adriano Bertaccini made it three goals and one assist in his last two matches by netting a double on Sunday Suphanat Mueanta was introduced as a half-time substitute at Gent and appears likely to take a spot down the centre of the Leuven attack Nachon Nsingi may be the player to miss out, while Florian Miguel and Kento Misao are alternatives at left wing-back and midfield if Garcia wants a fresher look to his team Sint-Truiden possible starting lineup:Suzuki; Van Helden Leuven possible starting lineup:Prevot; Schingtienne Although Sint-Truiden hold home advantage, we cannot look past Leuven prevailing against Gent on away territory last time out. With that in mind, we are backing a hard-fought triumph for the visitors on Friday.For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.