Herman Van Holsbeeck Returns to Football as Youth Advisor at Belgian Amateur Club

Former RSC Anderlecht manager Herman Van Holsbeeck has returned to active involvement in football, taking on a voluntary role as youth advisor at KFC Rhodienne-De Hoek in Sint-Genesius-Rode. The 71-year-old confirmed his engagement with the amateur club while reiterating he has no ambition to return to professional football.

Van Holsbeeck’s return comes nearly eight years after his last official position at Anderlecht, where he served as manager from 2003 to 2018. During his tenure, he guided the club to eight Belgian First Division A titles and one Belgian Cup victory. His departure in 2018 marked the end of a 15-year stint in Brussels that included significant transfer activity and on-field success.

The former manager’s re-entry into football began through personal connections. Van Holsbeeck stated he became involved with KFC Rhodienne-De Hoek after his grandson Eliyah began playing for the club’s youth teams. “One of my grandsons is bitten by football and plays here. It’s a nice club in the Flemish Rand on the border with Brussels,” he explained.

At the amateur club, Van Holsbeeck provides informal guidance without holding an official title. He described his role as organizing occasional training camps and offering advice when asked by the club’s young chairman. “I organize some stages and give voluntary advice, but I certainly will not return to professional football,” he said in interviews with Belgian media outlets.

The club runs a program called “Leef als een prof” (Live like a professional) for its youth players, which Van Holsbeeck has helped develop. Participants arrive as early as 8:30 AM for breakfast before training, followed by ice baths and video analysis sessions afterward. The program includes bi-weekly jacuzzi visits and a glass of Kidibull, aiming to replicate aspects of a professional footballer’s routine.

KFC Rhodienne-De Hoek fields teams in the provincial leagues, with its first squads competing in P2 and P4 divisions. The club maintains a substantial youth setup with approximately 300 young players, including the sons of notable Belgian internationals such as Dedryck Boyata and Thomas Meunier.

Despite his return to football environments, Van Holsbeeck remains entangled in ongoing legal proceedings related to the 2017 sale of Anderlecht to current owner Marc Coucke. He, along with player agent Christophe Henrotay and former CEO Jo Van Biesbroeck, faces allegations of fraud in connection with the transfer. The case proceeded before Brussels’ correctional court, with hearings having commenced prior to his public return to football activities.

Throughout the legal process, Van Holsbeeck has consistently maintained his innocence. He referenced the scrutiny he faced during his Anderlecht years, noting that losing matches once prompted police to request he move his car due to fears of damage from upset supporters. “I have so much criticism, so much mud thrown at me: I will certainly not return to professional football,” he stated, emphasizing his focus at this stage of life is on family and personal enjoyment rather than professional ambitions.

Van Holsbeeck’s career spans decades across multiple Belgian clubs. Before his Anderlecht tenure, he held managerial and administrative roles at teams including RWDM, Lierse, and various Brussels-area sides. His playing career included spells at clubs such as AV Dendermonde, Stade Leuven, and Union Sint-Gillis.

The development marks a notable shift for a figure once central to Belgium’s most successful football club of the 2000s, and 2010s. While Van Holsbeeck confirms his distance from the professional game’s pressures and politics, his continued presence in football — even at the amateur level — ensures he remains a familiar name within Belgian football circles as legal matters surrounding his Anderlecht era continue to unfold.

For now, his focus remains on supporting youth development at the grassroots level in Sint-Genesius-Rode, where he contributes experience without seeking authority or spotlight. As he position it when discussing his motivations: “I had consciously set football aside for a long time, but you quickly roll back into it.”

The next confirmed checkpoint in Van Holsbeeck’s ongoing legal case remains subject to judicial scheduling, with no immediate public updates announced regarding the fraud allegations tied to the Anderlecht sale process.

Share your thoughts on Van Holsbeeck’s return to football in the comments below, and let us know what you think about former professionals engaging with amateur clubs at the community level.