The 2019–20 season was Oud-Heverlee Leuven's 18th competitive season in professional football and the team's fourth consecutive season at the second level following their relegation from the Belgian Pro League in 2016. By clinching the first half of the season title in November 2019, Oud-Heverlee Leuven qualified for the promotion play-offs to play for the overall title and promotion, in which they faced Beerschot, who won the second half of the season.
After the first leg of the promotion final was played, which the club lost 1–0, the second leg at home was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mid-May, the Belgian association of professional football clubs decided that the second leg should take place behind closed doors in the first weekend of August to determine the champion and promoting team, on 2 August 2020. Eventually however, on 31 July 2020, just two days before the actual final match, the decision was overturned and instead the 2020–21 Belgian First Division A would be expanded to 18 (from 16) teams, meaning both OH Leuven and Beerschot would be promoted. While both clubs had already clinched promotion because of this, the second leg of the promotional final was still played (behind closed doors), with Beerschot winning again and taking the overall title.
2019–20 squad This section lists players who were in Oud-Heveree Leuven's first team squad at any point during the 2019–20 season The symbol ℒ indicates a player who is on loan from another club The symbol ¥ indicates a youngster who has appeared on the match sheet at least once during the season (possibly as unused substitute)
No. Nationality Name Position Joined First Team Previous club Left First Team Goalkeepers 1 Kawin Thamsatchanan GK 10 January 2018 Muangthong United 8 February 2020 16 Darren Keet GK 31 July 2019 Bidvest Wits – 26 Laurent Henkinet GK 27 December 2016 Waasland-Beveren – 38 Oregan Ravet¥ GK Summer 2019 Youth Squad – Defenders 2 Jan Van den Berghℒ CB 31 January 2020 Gent 30 June 2020 3 / Derrick Tshimanga LB 14 July 2017 Willem II – 4 Kenneth Schuermans CB 19 May 2017 Westerlo – 5 Pierre-Yves Ngawa RB 11 August 2019 Perugia – 15 Dylan Ouédraogo CB 28 August 2019 Apollon Limassol – 19 Frédéric Duplus RB 7 June 2018 Lens – 23 Sascha Kotysch CB 16 January 2019 Sint-Truiden – 27 Jordy Gillekens¥ CB Summer 2017 Youth Squad – 28 Toon Raemaekers¥ CB Summer 2019 Youth Squad – 31 Brent Laes¥ LB / LW Summer 2019 Youth Squad – 36 Thierno Gaye¥ RB Winter 2019–20 Youth Squad – Midfielders 6 David Hubert CM 18 August 2017 Gent – 8 Tom Van Hyfte CM 10 July 2019 Beerschot – 10 Xavier Mercier CM 16 June 2019 Cercle Brugge – 14 Kamal Sowahℒ CM 31 January 2018 Leicester City 30 June 2020 17 Samy Kehli AM 14 June 2018 Lokeren – 20 Isaac Asante¥ AM Winter 2019–20 Youth Squad 22 Olivier Myny LW / RW 31 May 2018 Waasland-Beveren – 24 Tristan Borges CM / LW / RW 22 January 2020 Forge FC – 24 Jarno Libert CM Summer 2017 Youth Squad 20 August 2019 25 Jenthe Mertens CM Summer 2017 Youth Squad 2 September 2019 29 Amîr Lemti¥ CM Summer 2019 Youth Squad – 33 Mathieu Maertens CM / AM 12 July 2017 Cercle Brugge – 77 Yohan Croizet LW / RW 5 February 2020 Sporting Kansas City – 99 Aboubakar Keita CM / DM 31 January 2019 Copenhagen – Forwards 7 / Yannick Aguemon CF / LW / RW 28 June 2017 Union SG – 8 Sam Hendriks CF 6 July 2018 Go Ahead Eagles 31 January 2020 9 Thomas Henry CF 17 January 2019 Tubize – 11 Yanis Mbombo CF 30 January 2019 Excel Mouscron – 12 Stallone Limbombe CF 31 January 2020 Gent – 18 Jo Gilis¥ CF Summer 2018 Youth Squad – 30 Milan Tučić CF / LW / RW 2 September 2019 Rudar Velenje – 32 Daan Vekemans¥ CF Summer 2018 Youth Squad – 39 Arthur Allemeersch¥ CF Summer 2019 Youth Squad – 43 Jérémy Perbetℒ CF 2 September 2019 Charleroi 30 June 2020
Transfers
May 2019 saw the first official transfer news published as midfielder Aboubakar Keita, who was already on loan from Copenhagen since the winter 2018–19 transfer window, was now signed permanently until 2022. Meanwhile, experienced midfielder Koen Persoons was announced as new signing by Belgian Second Amateur Division club Knokke. The first new player incoming was 29 year old French midfielder Xavier Mercier, who came over from Cercle Brugge where he had previously worked under the duo of Franky Vercauteren and Vincent Euvrard when they won the 2017–18 Belgian First Division B title and were promoted. That season Mercier also won the Belgian First Division B MVP award. Still before summer, OH Leuven also departed from Jovan Kostovski whose contract had ended after six seasons with the club, allowing him a free agent move to Cypriot team Ethnikos Achna.
With the season at an end, several players returned from loan deals: young strikers Jo Gilis and Daan Vekemans returned from Eendracht Aalst with which they had not been able to avoid relegation from the 2018–19 Belgian First Amateur Division. The duo would join the reserve squad for 2019–20. Dutch striker Sam Hendriks returned from Cambuur where he had been on good form until a serious knee injury saw him sidelined for the remainder of 2019. Winger Leo Njengo returned from a loan to Heist, but as he was end of contract he left the club, signing some weeks later for Visé. Also returning from loan deal was defender Jordy Gillekens who had been loaned to Fiorentina. Meanwhile, his goalkeeping brother Nick Gillekens was released after his contract ended, which was also the case for French midfielder Julien Gorius and Senegalese striker Simon Diedhiou. On the outgoing front, with their loan deals ending both Ahmed Touba and Jellert van Landschoot returned to Club Brugge after the season, similarly both Polish international Bartosz Kapustka and Elliott Moore returned to Leicester City F.C. Under-23s and Academy. Kapustka had in fact already returned a few months earlier to recover in Leicester from an injury ending his season while Moore was sold by Leicester City to Oxford United after two seasons on loan to OH Leuven. Kamal Sowah however remained with the squad, as it became clear his loan deal had been extended with one further season. On the other hand, English striker George Hirst was signed by Leicester City on a permanent basis.
In July, the club signed midfielder Tom Van Hyfte from direct competitors Beerschot and with Darren Keet brought in a new goalkeeper to replace Gillekens. Although South-African, Keet already has some five seasons of experience with the Belgian league as he played for Kortrijk from 2011 to 2016. Meanwhile, winger Joeri Dequevy moved to Belgian First Division team RWDM47. Mid August saw the return of former OH Leuven defender Pierre-Yves Ngawa who returned after playing in the Italian Serie B for two seasons, replacing Dimitri Daeseleire who left for Rupel Boom. With transfer deadline day approaching, several players who were deemed surplus found a solution by moving to a different team: Jarno Libert to RWDM47, Jenthe Mertens to Go Ahead Eagles and Redouane Kerrouche to Aves. Meanwhile, Burkinabé international Dylan Ouédraogo was brought in from Apollon Limassol as a backup defender. Finally, two last minute incoming transfers occurred with Slovenian winger/striker Milan Tučić being signed from Rudar Velenje and striker Jérémy Perbet arriving on loan from Charleroi.
During the 2019–20 winter transfer window, OH Leuven engaged in only few transfers. On the incoming side, midway through January, 21 year old Canadian Tristan Borges was brought in from Forge FC, while on transfer deadline day two more players came in from Gent: Jan Van den Bergh was loaned for 6-months (without buy clause) while Stallone Limbombe was signed until 2022. A few days after the transfer window had closed, former OHL player Yohan Croizet was signed as a free agent player, returning to the club after an earlier spell from 2014 to 2016. On the outgoing side, two players were sent out on loan: striker Sam Hendriks moved until the end of the season to Cambuur, where he had already been on loan the previous season; while Kawin Thamsatchanan was loaned out until the end of 2020 to Japanese team Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo.
Transfers In Date announced Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 9 May 2019 MF Aboubakar Keita Copenhagen Undisclosed Keita was already on loan from Copenhagen to OH Leuven during the second half of the 2018-19 season. All parties agreed to make the transfer permanent. End of 2018–19 season FW Jo Gilis Eendracht Aalst Loan Return End of 2018–19 season DF Jordy Gillekens Fiorentina Loan Return End of 2018–19 season FW Sam Hendriks Cambuur Loan Return End of 2018–19 season MF Kamal Sowah Leicester City Loan Sowah was already on loan from Leicester City to OH Leuven during the 2018-19 season. The loan was extended with another season. End of 2018–19 season FW Daan Vekemans Eendracht Aalst Loan Return 16 June 2019 MF Xavier Mercier Cercle Brugge Undisclosed 10 July 2019 MF Tom Van Hyfte Beerschot Free 31 July 2019 GK Darren Keet Bidvest Wits Undisclosed 11 August 2019 DF Pierre-Yves Ngawa Perugia Free 25 August 2019 DF Dylan Ouédraogo Apollon Limassol Undisclosed 2 September 2019 FW Jérémy Perbet Charleroi Loan 2 September 2019 FW Milan Tučić Rudar Velenje Undisclosed 22 January 2020 MF Tristan Borges Forge FC Undisclosed 31 January 2020 FW Stallone Limbombe Gent Undisclosed 31 January 2020 DF Jan Van den Bergh Gent Loan 5 February 2020 MF Yohan Croizet Free Agent NA
Transfers Out Date announced Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 24 May 2019 MF Koen Persoons Knokke Undisclosed End of 2018–19 season FW Simon Diedhiou Free Agent End of contract End of 2018–19 season GK Nick Gillekens Free Agent End of contract End of 2018–19 season MF Julien Gorius Free Agent End of contract End of 2018–19 season MF Bartosz Kapustka Leicester City Loan Return End of 2018–19 season DF Elliott Moore Leicester City Loan Return End of 2018–19 season DF Ahmed Touba Club Brugge Loan Return End of 2018–19 season DF Jellert van Landschoot Club Brugge Loan Return 23 June 2019 FW Jovan Kostovski Ethnikos Achna Free 5 July 2019 FW George Hirst Leicester City Undisclosed 29 July 2019 MF Joeri Dequevy RWDM47 Free 11 August 2019 MF Dimitri Daeseleire Rupel Boom Free 17 August 2019 MF Leo Njengo Visé Free 20 August 2019 MF Jarno Libert RWDM47 Undisclosed 25 August 2019 MF Redouane Kerrouche Aves Undisclosed 2 September 2019 MF Jenthe Mertens Go Ahead Eagles Undisclosed 31 January 2020 FW Sam Hendriks Cambuur Loan 8 February 2020 GK Kawin Thamsatchanan Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo Loan
Belgian First Division B
OHL's season in the Belgian First Division B began on 4 August 2018.
Results