It was a remarkable transfer last summer. Colin Coosemans (29) exchanged Ghent transfer-free for Anderlecht to become a reserve goalkeeper. Six months later, the East Fleming feels completely at home at RSCA. He does not play, but in the documentary ‘Mauve’ it appears that Coosemans is important for the dressing room. He speaks five languages, is a mood maker and even a quiz master. “They needed some return on investment.”
Jürgen Geril
Anderlecht want more cohesion within the club. It therefore had a new players’ home set up in the Lotto Park where the players can go with their families after the match. There is even a play corner for the children. A few weeks ago RSCA also organized a large family quiz. Not only were the players’ wives welcome there, but also Carla Higgs and Catherine Van Eylen – the wives of Vincent Kompany and Wouter Vandenhaute – accompanied their men. Chairman Vandenhaute had asked Colin Coosemans to be the quizmaster. He fulfilled that role with verve: “Who is our most expensive player according to the website? Transfermarkt?”, Coosemans pops a question into the microphone in English. “Sharing with 11 million. Do you agree with that, Peter Verbeke?” Coosemans looks like the Ben Crabbé of Anderlecht, including the jokes. “The board asked me as a presenter, because they wanted something return on investment.”
Coosemans has not played a minute with the A-team. Logical, because when he came over from Ghent, he was told that he would be the third keeper. Yet the goalkeeper has already been on the bench 16 times at the expense of the Dutch goalie Bart Verbruggen because Anderlecht sometimes needed him to get six Belgians on the match sheet. Coosemans is at peace with his statute. “Kompany was clear from the start”, says father Philippe. “Colin doesn’t play, but the training sessions are top notch and the atmosphere at Anderlecht is family. It’s a group of friends and Colin is doing his bit.”
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Polyglot
Coosemans fits well in the group. He often lingers longer in the players’ home and when there is a dinner party, he involves everyone in the conversation. The goalkeeper is a polyglot. He speaks Dutch, English, French, Spanish and Italian. The latter is because he has a girlfriend of Italian descent. So he can communicate with the entire dressing room, from Gomez to Kouamé. Moreover, he likes to have fun. When Hoedt scored in the cup against La Louvière with an accidental free kick, Coosemans shouted as a commentator: “There he is, Leo Messi with the free kick.”
The keeper also taught Anderlecht to abandon the traditional cry zigzag, zigzag after a win. Coosemans chants atsjik, atsjik, atsjik, his teammates answer with ai, ai, ai. If he whispers, the group must whisper, if he roars, the group must also roar.
Colin Coosemans therefore acts as a good glue at Anderlecht. Of course, he hopes one day to be under the bar. Following the example of Frank Boeckx, who once set himself up at RSCA from atmosphere maker to champion maker. But until that opportunity comes, Coosemans continues to train and occasionally present a quiz.
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