The 2016–17 season was Oud-Heverlee Leuven's 15th competitive season in professional football and the team's first season at the second level following their second relegation from the Belgian Pro League. Following a poor start the team only won their first match near the end of September on matchday seven. The form continued and OH Leuven kept struggling all season to set a consistent string of decent performances despite pre-season hopes of immediately regaining promotion to the Belgian First Division A. The team ended 5th in the opening competition and when despite a good start in the closing competition the performance started dropping, threatening to cause the team to end in the bottom four, manager Emilio Ferrera was sacked and replaced with Dennis van Wijk. Van Wijk could not improve the results and his main task involved in avoiding relegation, in which the team succeeded only on the very last day of the competition in a won home match against direct competitors Lommel United.
On top of the lacklustre season regarding performances, the club also experienced a turbulent season regarding ownership and management: in September 2016, chairman Jimmy Houtput was alleged to have offered the club as a "conduit" to allow third-party companies to gain ownership of football players in England. Houtput claimed he was "merely trying to obtain the identity of the possible investor(s) and would never take part in illegal activities to circumvent the third-party ownership", but subsequently resigned as OH Leuven chairman on 30 September. Chris Vandebroeck stepped in as care-taking chairman but has not been replaced since. In February 2017, Vandebroeck announced that the team had formed a pre-agreement with a Chinese investment company to perform a takeover of OH Leuven, stating that following the relegation a financial injection was needed to remain competitive.http://sporza.be/permalink/1.2881553 In reaction to a wave of criticism from supporters that the club would be sold to foreign investors, a group of supporters created a project called "OHL op Dreef" which managed to find a group of Flemish investors and entrepreneurs from the Leuven region willing to invest in the club. The group finally made a counter-offer and in the months that followed it became clear that the Chinese investment group was not following up on their commitments and would be backing out the investment. This seemed to give the Flemish investors the leading edge, but surprisingly, OH Leuven announced early May they had again signed a new pre-agreement, but now with a set of Thai investors, more specifically the King Power International Group led by Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha who already owns Leicester City. Vichai's son Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha would become CEO of OH Leuven.http://sporza.be/permalink/1.2980588
2016–17 squad This section lists players who were in Oud-Heveree Leuven's first team squad at any point during the 2016–17 season The symbol § indicates player left mid-season The symbol # indicates player joined mid-season The symbol ¥ indicates a youngster who has appeared on the match sheet at least once during the season (possibly as unused substitute) Italics indicate loan player
No. Nationality Name Position Joined First Team Signed from Goalkeepers 1 Nick Gillekens GK 2015 Youth 21 Andreas Suederick¥ GK NA, Youth Squad Genk 26 Laurent Henkinet# GK 2017 Free Agent 28 Ram Strauss§ GK 2016 Poli Timișoara Defenders 2 Soufiane El Banouhi CB 2016 WS Bruxelles 3 / Fazlı Kocabaş CB 2016 Union SG 4 Romain Reynaud CB 2014 Kortrijk 5 Pierre-Yves Ngawa RB 2015 Lierse 12 Jeroen Simaeys CB 2016 Krylia Sovetov 15 Pieter-Jan Monteyne LB 2015 Mouscron-Péruwelz 17 Nathan Durieux¥ CB NA, Youth Squad Youth 19 Cédric D'Ulivo CB 2016 Zulte Waregem 24 Nathan de Medina CB Loan Anderlecht 25 Nicolas Delporte LB 2014 Gent 28 Siebe Horemans CB Loan Gent Midfielders 6 Kenneth Houdret CM 2015 Charleroi 7 Jonathan Kindermans CM 2016 RKC Waalwijk 8 / Flavien Le Postollec CM 2014 Mons 16 Jordy Lokando CM 2015 Youth 18 Robin Peeters¥ CM NA, Youth Squad Youth 22 Simon Bracke CM 2015 Youth 24 Lucas Schoofs CM Loan Gent 27 Mehdi Bounou¥ CM NA, Youth Squad Youth 31 Nikola Storm# LW / RW Loan Club Brugge Forwards 9 // Esteban Casagolda CF 2016 Dender EH 10 Serge Tabekou LW / RW Loan Gent 11 / Ben Yagan CF 2016 Heist 14 Thomas Azevedo LW / RW 2011 Lommel United 18 Tuur Houben§ CF 2016 Youth 20 Din Sula CF 2015 Youth 23 Jovan Kostovski CF 2013 Vardar 29 Leo Njengo# CF 2017 Dessel Sport 30 / Yannick Loemba CF / LW / RW Loan Oostende
Transfers
The first transfer was announced already in March 2016, when it was released that second goalkeeper Yves Lenaerts had signed for ASV Geel in search for more playing opportunity. This proved to be just the first outgoing transfer of many, as following the relegation from the Belgian Pro League on 13 March 2016, several players left the team: Brazilian defender Kanu saw his contract terminated by mutual consent just a few days after the relegation, over the summer three key players were sold, namely John Bostock (to Lens), Yohan Croizet (to Mechelen) and Jordan Remacle (to Antwerp). The loan deals of Samuel Asamoah, Charni Ekangamene, Leandro Trossard, Slobodan Urošević and Oleksandr Volovyk were not extended, youngster Konstantinos Rougalas was allowed to leave the club and return to Greece and the contracts of Frenchmen Jean Calvé and Rudy Riou, striker Kim Ojo and defender Kenny Van Hoevelen were either terminated or not prolonged. Yohan Brouckaert and Kenneth Van Goethem were out on loan during the 2015–16 season and both signed for new teams, Brouckaert moved to RWDM47 while Kenneth Van Goethem moved to Aarschot. Other outgoing transfers included substitute strikers Alessandro Cerigioni and Romero Regales, respectively moving to Waasland-Beveren and Den Bosch.
At this point, the only remaining players were goalkeeper Gillekens, defenders Delporte, Ngawa and Reynaud, midfielders Le Postollec and Lokando and strikers Azevedo, Kostovski and Sula, not even enough for a complete lineup. The first additions arrived early June, as OH Leuven announced the contract extensions of Kenneth Houdret and Pieterjan Monteyne, while youngster Simon Bracke returned from loan to ASV Geel and was added to the squad. Later that month, the first new names were signed with defender Fazlı Kocabaş (from Union SG) and striker Esteban Casagolda (from Dender EH). OH Leuven then again announced some familiar names, first with the return of winger Ben Yagan who had been released in the summer of 2015 but had experienced a strong season at Heist, followed by the surprise signing of experienced defender and OH Leuven youth product Jeroen Simaeys from Krylia Sovetov. Later in the month of July, the team confirmed the loan deal of winger Serge Tabekou, arriving from Gent.
Early August saw three newcomers added to the team, the signings of Soufiane El Banouhi (from WS Brussels) and Jonathan Kindermans (from Waalwijk) were not unexpected as both had been training with the team for several weeks already. Finally experienced defender Cédric D'Ulivo was also added to the team, coming over from Zulte Waregem. Towards the end of the summer 2016 transfer window, goalkeeper Ram Strauss was brought in from Poli Timișoara as a substitute for Gillekens and on transfer deadline day itself OHL loaned two players to complete the squad, with Yannick Loemba and Nathan de Medina coming over respectively from Oostende and Anderlecht.
During the 2016–17 winter transfer window, OHL first released two players near the end of 2016 by terminating by mutual consent the contracts of youngster Tuur Houben and only recently acquired goalkeeper Ram Strauss. To replace Strauss as second keeper, free agent player Laurent Henkinet was signed, after which followed the signings of youngsters Leo Njengo (from Dessel Sport) and Nikola Storm (on loan from Club Brugge). Finally on 31 January 2016, the last day of the winter transfer window, OHL loaned two players from Gent: midfielder Lucas Schoofs and defender Siebe Horemans.
Transfers In Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. End of 2015–16 season MF Simon Bracke ASV Geel Loan Return 10 June 2016 MF Kenneth Houdret Charleroi Undisclosed Houdret was on loan from Charleroi during the 2015–16 season. The loan ended but Houdret moved to OHL permanently. 20 June 2016 DF Fazlı Kocabaş Union SG Undisclosed 24 June 2016 FW Esteban Casagolda Dender EH Undisclosed 30 June 2016 FW Ben Yagan Heist Undisclosed 3 July 2016 DF Jeroen Simaeys Krylia Sovetov Undisclosed 20 July 2016 MF Serge Tabekou Gent Loan 2 August 2016 DF Soufiane El Banouhi WS Brussels Undisclosed 2 August 2016 MF Jonathan Kindermans Waalwijk Undisclosed 3 August 2016 DF Cédric D'Ulivo Zulte Waregem Undisclosed 20 August 2016 GK Ram Strauss Poli Timișoara Free 31 August 2016 MF Nathan de Medina Anderlecht Loan 31 August 2016 MF Yannick Loemba Oostende Loan 27 December 2016 GK Laurent Henkinet Free Agent NA 6 January 2017 FW Leo Njengo Dessel Sport Undisclosed 9 January 2017 MF Nikola Storm Club Brugge Loan 31 January 2017 DF Siebe Horemans Gent Loan 31 January 2017 MF Lucas Schoofs Gent Loan
Transfers Out Date to Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 2 March 2016 GK Yves Lenaerts ASV Geel Undisclosed 21 March 2016 MF Kenneth Van Goethem Aarschot Released Van Goethem was on loan to Heist during the 2015–16 season. The loan ended and he was released to Aarschot. 23 March 2016 DF Kanu Free Agent Contract terminated by mutual consent 26 April 2016 FW Alessandro Cerigioni Waasland-Beveren Undisclosed 21 May 2016 AM Yohan Croizet Mechelen Undisclosed 23 June 2016 MF Yohan Brouckaert RWDM47 Released Brouckaert was on loan to Roeselare during the 2015–16 season. The loan ended and he was released to RWDM47. 30 June 2016 RW Jordan Remacle Antwerp Undisclosed 30 June 2016 DF Konstantinos Rougalas Free Agent Released End of 2015–16 season MF Samuel Asamoah Eupen Loan Return End of 2015–16 season DF Jean Calvé Free Agent Released End of 2015–16 season MF Charni Ekangamene Zulte Waregem Loan Return End of 2015–16 season FW Kim Ojo Free Agent Released End of 2015–16 season GK Rudy Riou Free Agent Released End of 2015–16 season MF Leandro Trossard Genk Loan Return End of 2015–16 season MF Slobodan Urošević Napredak Kruševac Loan Return End of 2015–16 season DF Kenny Van Hoevelen Free Agent End of contract End of 2015–16 season DF Oleksandr Volovyk Shakhtar Donetsk Loan Return 5 July 2016 CM / John Bostock Lens Undisclosed 12 July 2016 CF Romero Regales Den Bosch Undisclosed 19 December 2016 CF Tuur Houben Free Agent Released 23 December 2016 GK Ram Strauss Free Agent Released
Pre-season MatchDateOpponentVenueResultScorersReport16 July 2016 AnderlechtH1–4Casagolda pen.Report29 July 2016 LindenA7–0Houdret, Kostovski (2), Yagan (2), Lokando, SulaReport313 July 2016 LokerenA0–4Report416 July 2016 Sint-TruidenA4–1Yagan, Houben, Bracke, KostovskiReport520 July 2016 KV MechelenH1–1BrackeReport623 July 2016 WesterloA2–2Sula, TabekouReport724 July 2016 Olympia WijgmaalA1–2CamaraReport827 July 2016 UNA StrassenA2–1Kostovski, SulaReport930 July 2016 Eendracht AalstH4–0Kostovski, Casagolda, Kindermans, SulaReport
Belgian First Division B
OHL's first season in the Belgian First Division B began on 7 August 2016.
Results
Opening Competition