Football Season Guide

A poor start to the season in 2022/23 saw Mechelen in danger of being drawn into a relegation fight. Rookie boss Steven Defour was handed the reins in October and steadied the ship. The team never really looked like challenging for a European playoff place but stayed comfortably clear of the relegation zone. A run to the cup final was a highlight last season. The off season has seen influential club captain Schoofs strongly linked with a move away but he has ended speculation by signing a new contract with Mechelen. The transfer policy looks to be to make small alterations rather than a big overhaul of the squad. The most important arrival so far looks to be that of Konate. Mechelen were missing a solid defensive midfielder after Souza left in January, in Konate they have a good replacement. With Schoofs and Konate solid in the centre plus Hairemans, Storm and Mrbati providing width and creativity, Mechelen look strong in midfield. One main area where they struggled last season was not scoring enough goals, winger Hairemans was their top scorer with nine goals. Currently, they are still missing a main central striker to provide a focal point and give them a potent threat in attack.