Marked for Jason Castagne
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad28 Jun 2027
Jason Castagne damages knee ligaments — 14 days out
The words a physio says slowly. 14 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.
Market28 Jun 2027
Derrick Kyere hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Mouscron can pretend not to have heard.
Squad28 Jun 2027
Thimothé David is a better footballer than he was
Not a run of form — an actual step up, held for months. At 23 he is doing things at this level he could not do at the start of the season, and the coaching staff will tell you exactly which of them.
Squad28 Jun 2027
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.
Squad28 Jun 2027
Adnan Mertens has improved at 26, which nobody expected
Careers are supposed to plateau and then decline, and the players who ignore that are always the ones who were listening on the training ground. 3 points of it, over months, at an age where the direction normally only goes one way.
Market28 Jun 2027
Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. Mouscron will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad21 Jun 2027
Jason Castagne damages knee ligaments — 21 days out
The words a physio says slowly. 21 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.
Market21 Jun 2027
The phone has started ringing about Romelu Tielemans again, and this time the name on the line is Portimonense. Mouscron are listening politely and promising nothing.
Squad21 Jun 2027
Ebbe De Vlaeminck is a better footballer than he was
Not a run of form — an actual step up, held for months. At 21 he is doing things at this level he could not do at the start of the season, and the coaching staff will tell you exactly which of them.
Squad21 Jun 2027
Toby Alderweireld 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.
Squad21 Jun 2027
Toby Alderweireld has improved at 26, which nobody expected
Careers are supposed to plateau and then decline, and the players who ignore that are always the ones who were listening on the training ground. 3 points of it, over months, at an age where the direction normally only goes one way.
Market21 Jun 2027
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Radja Batshuayi signs something — a contract at Mouscron or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad14 Jun 2027
Jason Castagne damages knee ligaments — 30 days out
The words a physio says slowly. 30 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.
Market14 Jun 2027
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Market14 Jun 2027
The paperwork is done: Joseph Opoku joins from Zulte Waregem in a deal worth $1.3M. Now comes the harder part.
Squad14 Jun 2027
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Ebbe De Vlaeminck commits to Mouscron for another 5 years.
Squad14 Jun 2027
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.
Squad14 Jun 2027
Words at Mouscron training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Adnan Mertens is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.