Ostend sink Anderlecht at the coast, the Brussels drama is complete, fans start to revolt
In football, Anderlecht were beaten 3-2 by modest KV Oostende, losing a match they should have won to boost their chances for play-off 1. It was probably a sweet victory for Ostend, who are now at loggerheads with their former sponsor, Marc Coucke, who moved to Anderlecht.
Anderlecht have been in the doldrums since the start of the season. Player-manager Vincent Kompany had high ambitions, but his approach didn't yield enough points. Veteran coach Frank Vercauteren took over, and collected some points, which boosted Anderlecht's hopes to fight their way back into the top-6.
In this respect, the game in Ostend was one they really needed to win, but they were 3-0 down on 81 minutes. Nacer Chadli and Jeremy Doku made it 3-2 though, and Anderlecht even claimed a penalty deep into extra time, but didn't get it. It was Ostend's first victory since August, and Anderlecht's first defeat under new coach Vercauteren, despite Vincent Kompany making his comeback on the pitch. A number of frustrated Anderlecht fans were furious and almost stormed onto the pitch. The players intervened to help the fans cool down. (photo below)
Sweet revenge? KV Oostende are at loggerheads with Coucke
The victory must have been a sweet one for relegation-threatened KV Oostende, as they are on loggerheads with the man who was the king at the club for so long: billionaire Marc Coucke. The businessman moved to Anderlecht last year, hoping for bigger successes, but it doesn't seem to work out. There is also a conflict between KV Oostende and Coucke about the rent for a grandstand in Ostend that he still owns: the rent is said to be so high that the club may go bankrupt. Marc Coucke had received protection for the game amidst fears of possible attacks.
The defeat leaves Anderlecht in 11th place, Ostend are 14th.
