His iconic haircut may be a lot shorter than it used to be, but you can still recognize Marouane Fellaini at the age of 38. When the 1.94 m tall ex-Red Devil enters the Mambourg press room on Tuesday afternoon – which is filling up – it is immediately silent. Fellaini has presence. Always had. And he now wants to radiate that in his new ‘job’. No, he will definitely not be the new coach of the Carolos, but the fact that a sporting consultant is even introduced to the press says enough about what ‘Big Fella’ has meant for Belgian football.
And so the first question that coach… er… consultant Fellaini is presented with is also a logical one: how on earth – and especially out of nowhere – does Marouane Fellaini end up at Charleroi? The answer actually comes from Lotto Park… “I went to Union-Marseille (on December 9 in the Champions League, ed.), where I met Mehdi Bayat. He is a friend and I know him from the national team, when he was president of the football association. I voluntarily offered him my services there. I know the situation in Charleroi, I do this purely out of friendship.”
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Free and for nothing
That commitment does not cost Charleroi a euro. Fellaini earns nothing from it, something that raised questions among some supporters, given the club’s financial situation. But money is no longer an issue for him. He also worked without a salary on previous freelance assignments in Dubai and China. After a long and lucrative career, that is no longer a priority.
But why does Fellaini do this? His adventure in Charleroi is not his first introduction to this field. He has already carried out similar assignments at two clubs in Dubai and one in China.
A small but important clarification: this absolutely does not happen in the context of a training course to obtain a trainer’s diploma, because Fellaini is currently not following one. Although this adventure must give him insight: “I enjoy doing it. It is also a great experience for me with a view to the future. Do I ever want to become a trainer? We will see whether I like this or not. It is also a test for me.”
Standard legend… at the arch-rival
His arrival has now caused quite a stir across the language border. Fellaini broke through at arch-rival Standard, played 84 games and even loaned the club three million euros in 2020 in difficult times. Just last month he received a standing ovation at a Red Devils international match at Sclessin. The fact that he has just now turned up at Charleroi feels like a betrayal to some Liège fans.
© David Catry / Isosport
But… “My past at Standard? That has nothing to do with this,” Fellaini is clear about his choice. “I have been a Belgian international. I have played for different clubs in my career. I will only stay here for two to three weeks. Then I will go back to Dubai. I am doing this with great pleasure.”
The man with 87 caps at the Red Devils has known Charleroi for some time. He enjoyed part of his youth training there in the early 2000s. On Tuesday he met the current group of players for the first time, two days after the draw against national champions Union. “They played well,” he said. “That is never easy against the champion. Now it is important to remain calm and clear during the next two matches.”
He deliberately speaks about “the next two matches”. Not only because the winter break follows, but also because his visit to the Carolos is over. Fellaini lives mainly in Dubai and is in Belgium this month purely for family reasons. His role with the Zebras is strictly temporary, after which he would normally return to the United Arab Emirates at the end of this year.
That did not prevent him from immediately getting started with enthusiasm. “I have spoken to young players and boys who get less playing time. A close-knit group is crucial,” he says. He also notices how much the club has changed since his youth. “It has been 22 years. Charleroi has become much more professional and exudes stability.”
On the couch or not?
It is that stability that he now wants to contribute. Especially now that trainer Rik de Mil left the ship and went to KAA Ghent. But Fellaini is far from coming to advise or influence the staff in his sporting choices. So don’t count on him to put together the starting eleven that will play against Genk next Friday. “I don’t even know yet whether I will even be able to sit on the bench. We will have to see about that.”
However, Fellaini will be present with the players on the field and in the dressing room during training this week, to share his experience with the group and show them what the highest level means in terms of demandingness and mentality. “I stand between the players and the staff to put my grinta at the service of the team. My priorities? Win the next two games. And if I can offer added value, that can only be positive.”
