The 2018–19 season was Oud-Heverlee Leuven's 17th competitive season in professional football and the team's third consecutive season at the second level following their relegation from the Belgian Pro League in 2016.
Although deemed as potential candidates for promotion at the start of the season, OH Leuven was never in contention and was always closer to the bottom of the table than to the top. After missing out on winning the opening tournament, going out early against amateur team Dessel Sport in the Belgian Cup and several disappointing results in the closing tournament, English coach Nigel Pearson was sacked in January 2019 and replaced by the duo of Vincent Euvrard (manager) and Franky Vercauteren (sports advisor).
After the change, despite scoring more points, the team was not able to avoid the relegation play-offs, however with four wins out of six matches, the club avoided relegation in the end.
2018–19 squad This section lists players who were in Oud-Heveree Leuven's first team squad at any point during the 2018–19 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 Previous club Goalkeepers 1 Nick Gillekens GK 2015 Youth Squad 16 Kawin Thamsatchanan GK 2018 Muangthong United 26 Laurent Henkinet GK 2017 Waasland-Beveren Defenders 2 Dimitri Daeseleire RB 2017 Antwerp 3 / Derrick Tshimanga LB 2017 Willem II 4 Kenneth Schuermans CB 2017 Westerlo 5 Elliott Moore CB Loan Leicester City 12 Clément Fabre$ CB 2017 Tubize 19 Frédéric Duplus RB 2018 Lens 21 Sascha Kotysch# CB 2019 Sint-Truiden 34 Ahmed Touba LB Loan Club Brugge Midfielders 6 David Hubert CM 2017 Gent 11 Joeri Dequevy RW 2018 Antwerp 14 Samy Kehli AM 2018 Lokeren 15 Kamal Sowah CM Loan Leicester City 17 Julien Gorius CM 2017 Changchun Yatai 18 Jellert van Landschoot CM Loan Club Brugge 22 Olivier Myny LW / RW 2018 Waasland-Beveren 24 Jarno Libert CM 2017 Youth Squad 25 Jenthe Mertens CM 2017 Youth Squad 27 / Redouane Kerrouche CM 2018 Paris FC 28 Koen Persoons CM 2017 Lokeren 29 Jo Gilis¥$ AM / CF 2018 Youth Squad 30 Bartosz Kapustka AM / LW / RW Loan Leicester City 33 Mathieu Maertens CM / AM 2017 Cercle Brugge 39 Aboubakar Keita# CM / DM Loan Copenhagen Forwards 7 / Yannick Aguemon CF / LW / RW 2017 Union SG 8 Sam Hendriks$ CF 2018 Go Ahead Eagles 9 / / Esteban Casagolda$ CF 2016 Dender EH 9Henry played one match with shirt number 37 but changed to 9 following the transfer of Casagolda to Roeselare. Thomas Henry# CF 2019 Tubize 10 George Hirst CF 2018 Sheffield Wednesday 20 Simon Diedhiou CF 2017 Gent 23 Jovan Kostovski CF 2013 Vardar 32 Daan Vekemans¥$ CF 2018 Youth Squad 38 Yanis Mbombo# CF 2019 Excel Mouscron
Transfers
The first transfer news regarding the 2018–19 squad came in March, when Mechelen announced that despite their relegation from the Belgian First Division A, Ivorian defender Mamadou Bagayoko would remain at the team. He was already on loan from OH Leuven but would transfer permanently at the end of the season. One month later, another player left for Mechelen, as winger Nikola Storm signed a deal with the club to transfer there permanently after his loan from Club Brugge to OH Leuven would come to an end at the end of the 2017–18 season.
The month of May involved the first new reinforcements, as OH Leuven brought in two Belgian youngsters: Olivier Myny was signed from Waasland-Beveren while Jellert van Landschoot was loaned from Club Brugge. Meanwhile, Pepingen-Halle, playing in the Belgian Third Amateur Division, had announced the signing of third goalkeeper Andreas Suederick.
In June, with Samy Kehli and Elliott Moore, two players were kept that were on loan during the previous season. Kehli was signed permanently from Lokeren, while the loan deal of Moore was extended with one more season. On top of this, also two new players joined the club as French experienced defender Frédéric Duplus was signed from Lens, after already playing in Belgium for Zulte Waregem, White Star Brussels and Antwerp, followed by English youth international George Hirst from Sheffield Wednesday.
Early July, both Thomas Azevedo and Geert Berben moved to Lommel, their former team. Azevedo was already on loan to Lommel during the second half of the previous season and became a free agent player after his contract with OH Leuven ended, while Berben had been on loan to Oosterzonen Oosterwijk and was now sold. Later that same month, two youngsters left the squad, as striker Din Sula (who had been out on loan to Lommel) was signed by Waasland-Beveren and Jordy Gillekens was loaned to the youth squad of Fiorentina. The only incoming transfer in July was that of Dutch striker Sam Hendriks, arriving from Go Ahead Eagles. Later that summer, two players signed for Belgian First Amateur Division teams as their contracts had ended: experienced midfielder Flavien Le Postollec signed for Deinze, while youngster Jordy Lokando, who had returned from a loan to Heist, now moved permanently to RWDM47.
As was the case for the last few seasons already, OH Leuven was again active on transfer deadline day, signing no less than three players. While the interest of OH Leuven in French midfielder Redouane Kerrouche from Paris had been apparent already over the prior weeks and the signing therefore anticipated, the loan deals of youngsters Ahmed Touba (from Club Brugge) and especially Polish 14 times international Bartosz Kapustka (from Leicester City) to many came as more of a surprise.
Finally, throughout the summer some players did not have their contracts extended or saw their loan deals come to an end. Youngsters Dico Jap Tjong and Godwin Odibo were released, Benjamin Bambi and Leo Njengo returned from loans to Heist and Dessel Sport respectively, but were placed at the OH Leuven reserves. The loan deal of defender Benjamin Boulenger from Charleroi ended and was not prolonged neither.
During the 2018–19 winter transfer window, with the team suffering in the league while having a large squad, several transfers were expected on both incoming and outgoing side. The first transfer was however only announced mid-January and concerned a loan deal of Leo Njengo, who had been playing for the reserves so far this season and was given playing time with Belgian First Amateur Division-side Heist. Two incoming signings followed just after that, with central defender Sascha Kotysch and striker Thomas Henry. While Kotysch arrived from Sint-Truiden, the transfer of Henry was surprising as he was signed from direct opponents Tubize in the fight against relegation.
The final transfers of the 2018–19 season all happened in the last two days before closing of the transfer window. First another striker was brought into the squad with Yanis Mbombo, coming from Excel Mouscron. No mention was made whether it concerned a loan deal or a permanent move, only that Mbombo had signed a contract until the end of the season. On transfer deadline day, OH Leuven got rid of four strikers, first sending youngsters Jo Gilis and Daan Vekemans out on loan to Eendracht Aalst, followed by Dutchman Sam Hendriks who returned to his home country after just half a season, to play out on loan for Cambuur. In the final hours, 2016–17 club top scorer Esteban Casagolda was sold to league competitors Roeselare. The final day also involved one more incoming transfer with midfielder Aboubakar Keita arriving on loan from Copenhagen.
Transfers In Date announced Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 24 May 2018 MF Jellert van Landschoot Club Brugge Loan 31 May 2018 W Olivier Myny Waasland-Beveren Undisclosed 7 June 2018 DF Frédéric Duplus Lens Undisclosed 14 June 2018 MF Samy Kehli Lokeren Undisclosed Kehli was already on loan from Lokeren to OH Leuven during the second half of the 2017–18 season. The loan ended and Kehli was transferred to OH Leuven on a permanent basis. 20 June 2018 DF Elliott Moore Leicester City Loan Extended Moore was already on loan from Leicester City to OH Leuven during the 2017–18 season. The loan was extended for another season. 22 June 2018 FW George Hirst Sheffield Wednesday Undisclosed 6 July 2018 FW Sam Hendriks Go Ahead Eagles Undisclosed 31 August 2018 MF Bartosz Kapustka Leicester City Loan 31 August 2018 MF Redouane Kerrouche Paris Undisclosed 31 August 2018 DF Ahmed Touba Club Brugge Loan 16 January 2019 DF Sascha Kotysch Sint-Truiden Undisclosed 17 January 2019 FW Thomas Henry Tubize Undisclosed 30 January 2019 FW Yanis Mbombo Excel Mouscron Undisclosed 31 January 2019 MF Aboubakar Keita Copenhagen Loan
Transfers Out Date announced Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 29 March 2018 DF Mamadou Bagayoko Mechelen Undisclosed Bagayoko was already on loan from OH Leuven to Mechelen since the winter 2017–18 transfer window and all parties now agreed to make the transfer permanent. 30 April 2018 MF Nikola Storm Club Brugge Loan Return 9 May 2018 GK Andreas Suederick Pepingen-Halle Free End of 2017–18 season MF Benjamin Bambi OH Leuven Reserves Loan Return Bambi was on loan from OH Leuven to Heist, the loan ended and Bambi returned to OH Leuven but was placed at the reserves. End of 2017–18 season DF Benjamin Boulenger Charleroi Loan Return End of 2017–18 season MF Dico Jap Tjong Free Agent Released End of 2017–18 season FW Leo Njengo OH Leuven Reserves Loan Return Njengo was on loan from OH Leuven to Dessel Sport, the loan ended and Njengo returned to OH Leuven but was placed at the reserves. End of 2017–18 season MF Godwin Odibo Free Agent Released 2 July 2018 MF Geert Berben Lommel Undisclosed 4 July 2018 W Thomas Azevedo Lommel Undisclosed 10 July 2018 FW Din Sula Waasland-Beveren Undisclosed Sula was on loan from OH Leuven to Lommel during the 2017-18 season. The loan ended and Sula was sold to Waasland-Beveren. 24 July 2018 DF Jordy Gillekens Fiorentina Loan 1 August 2018 MF Flavien Le Postollec Deinze Free 25 August 2018 MF Jordy Lokando RWDM47 Free Lokando was on loan from OH Leuven to Heist during the 2017–18 season. After the loan ended, Lokando was released to RWDM47. 15 January 2019 FW Leo Njengo Heist Loan Njengo had been playing at the reserves for the first half of the season. 31 January 2019 FW Esteban Casagolda Roeselare Undisclosed 31 January 2019 FW Jo Gilis Eendracht Aalst Loan 31 January 2019 FW Sam Hendriks Cambuur Loan 31 January 2019 FW Daan Vekemans Eendracht Aalst Loan
Belgian First Division B
OHL's season in the Belgian First Division B began on 4 August 2018.
Results