Marked for Thomas Witsel
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match7 Dec 2026
Position 3 and 30 points on the board. Nobody at the ground will say the word out loud yet, and everybody at the ground is thinking it.
Squad7 Dec 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Thomas Witsel and Zulte Waregem agree another 1 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad7 Dec 2026
Brent Gabriel was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Player ratings7 Dec 2026
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.68, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Squad7 Dec 2026
Defences have started doubling up on Marley Aké
4 goals and a season average of 7.51 will do that. The space he used to find has gone; he keeps scoring anyway, which is the mark of the real thing.
Player ratings7 Dec 2026
Nobody could get near Marley Aké
Successful dribbles: 17. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad30 Nov 2026
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Thomas Witsel and Zulte Waregem agree another 1 years.
Squad30 Nov 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Zulte Waregem this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad30 Nov 2026
11 goals and a season average of 7.42. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Match28 Nov 2026
Three points for Zulte Waregem, 2‑1 the final word against OH Leuven in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Player ratings30 Nov 2026
Marked 9.01 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Player ratings30 Nov 2026
Headers, blocks, tackles, interceptions — 20 of them, and not one goal behind him. The sort of performance that never makes a highlight reel and wins football matches.
Player ratings30 Nov 2026
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.52, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Player ratings30 Nov 2026
A performance of 8.42 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Squad30 Nov 2026
The manager makes an example of Fabio Daprelà
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Triumph
Squad5 Oct 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Thomas Witsel and Zulte Waregem agree another 1 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Player ratings5 Oct 2026
Defensive actions: 23. He was first to everything and second to nothing, and the goalkeeper had an easy day because of it.
Squad5 Oct 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Zulte Waregem this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match3 Oct 2026
Whatever happens, Zulte Waregem do not lose
6 games unbeaten now. Some were earned and some were survived, but a habit is forming — and habits are the hardest thing in football to play against.
Player ratings5 Oct 2026
Marked 9.33 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Match3 Oct 2026
It finished 2‑1, and it was Anton Tanghe’s afternoon: on the scoresheet when it mattered, and the reason the points belong to Zulte Waregem.
Boardroom5 Oct 2026
Wages eat 174% of everything Zulte Waregem earn
There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.
Player ratings5 Oct 2026
One of those days for Marley Aké
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.74, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Match3 Oct 2026
Three points for Zulte Waregem, 1‑0 the final word against Westerlo in a contest settled by the finer margins.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad28 Sep 2026
Brent Gabriel was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Player ratings28 Sep 2026
One of those days for Marley Aké
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 9.13, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Player ratings28 Sep 2026
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.35, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Match26 Sep 2026
It needed Marley Aké to find the net to bring anything home at all: 2‑2 against Waasland-Beveren, and half the dressing room will call it a point won.
Player ratings28 Sep 2026
Successful dribbles: 15. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad28 Sep 2026
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Player ratings7 Sep 2026
Successful dribbles: 31. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Squad7 Sep 2026
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Market7 Sep 2026
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Market7 Sep 2026
The Lokeren deal is off
Everything was agreed until it was not, and Eden Mignolet reports back to Mouscron with a summer to forget. Neither club is saying who walked away from the table.
Squad7 Sep 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Mouscron this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Market7 Sep 2026
Thomas Witsel has left for Zulte Waregem in a $450.0K deal. The accountants are pleased; the supporters are less certain.
Squad7 Sep 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Adnan Hazard, and the manager let it.
Squad7 Sep 2026
The award goes to Márcio Oliveira, and nobody around here is inclined to argue with the choice.
Match5 Sep 2026
1‑1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market7 Sep 2026
Business is business: Alain Gueï goes
OH Leuven paid $890.0K and Zulte Waregem took it, which is the whole story in one sentence. The longer version involves a wage budget and will be told all season.
Squad7 Sep 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Zulte Waregem this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match5 Sep 2026
3‑4 to Standard Liege, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Player ratings7 Sep 2026
A performance of 8.91 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Squad7 Sep 2026
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Boardroom7 Sep 2026
141% of the income goes out in wages at Zulte Waregem
Every club in football pays most of what it earns to its players. Paying nearly all of it is a different arrangement, and it has ended the same way every time somebody has tried it.
Player ratings7 Sep 2026
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.73, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Player ratings7 Sep 2026
One of those days for Marley Aké
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.02, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Player ratings7 Sep 2026
A performance of 8.02 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
From our football correspondent
Triumph
Market24 Aug 2026
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Market24 Aug 2026
The interest is real enough to have reached print. Mouscron have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.
Squad24 Aug 2026
Youri Lukaku was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Player ratings24 Aug 2026
Successful dribbles: 21. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Player ratings24 Aug 2026
A performance of 9.09 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Match22 Aug 2026
Three points for Mouscron, 2‑1 the final word against Racing Genk in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Player ratings24 Aug 2026
Marked 8.51 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Squad24 Aug 2026
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market24 Aug 2026
The Youri Lukaku story refuses to die
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Youri Lukaku signs something — a contract at Mouscron or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
From our football correspondent
Triumph
Squad3 Aug 2026
Youri Lukaku was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Match1 Aug 2026
Three points for Mouscron, 3‑2 the final word against Zulte Waregem in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Squad3 Aug 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Thomas Witsel and Mouscron agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Player ratings3 Aug 2026
A performance of 8.92 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Player ratings3 Aug 2026
Marked 8.76 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Squad3 Aug 2026
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad3 Aug 2026
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Nacer Vertonghen knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
Player ratings3 Aug 2026
Successful dribbles: 15. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Market3 Aug 2026
24 months to run and not a word offered. A club that lets the calendar negotiate for it usually ends up losing to the calendar.