Anderlecht trains without coach ahead of July Europa tie

RSC Anderlecht resumed training on Monday, 22 June, but still lack a permanent head coach as they prepare for their first Europa League preliminary match on 23 July against Hammarby. The Swedish side sit fourth in the Allsvenskan and have already played 11 league games.

Antoine Sibierski has not yet announced the name of the new head coach, despite expectations for an announcement on Monday, the day training resumed. The shortlist of candidates has been considerably reduced in recent days, and the eventual appointment is expected within days.

Karel Geraerts was mentioned in rumours but was not considered an option by RSC Anderlecht. Oscar Garcia was officially released by Ajax Amsterdam over the weekend, fueling speculation about his availability.

Giulian Biancone, the first major signing of the Sibierski era, hopes the incoming coach will endorse his transfer or at least appreciate his profile. Biancone had previously impressed at Cercle Brugge and has since changed his preferred playing position.

Jeremy Taravel remains in his role as T2 and is overseeing the training sessions while the club awaits its new boss. Taravel knows the squad intimately, having led it since the end of last season, but the current group is notably limited.

Nathan Saliba and César Huerta are away at the World Cup and are expected to feature in at least the round of 16, with a realistic chance of reaching the quarter‑finals for their host nations. Their prolonged absence means they will miss the preparatory period before the 23 July Europa tie.

Yari Verschaeren, Mats Rits and Thorgan Hazard are out of contract and have not been renewed, while loan players Mathys Angély, Moussa Diarra, Mihajlo Ilic and Coba Da Costa are also set to leave without permanent deals. Consequently, the squad will be depleted of several experienced players ahead of the European fixture.

The core of the team will be supplemented by young players from the Neerpede academy for upcoming friendlies. Nevertheless, the upcoming match against Hammarby will require a competitive performance despite the preparation challenges.