Football Season Guide

Oostende are aiming to build on their most successful season in their history and continue to grow into one of the top clubs in the country. The team has gone a long way in the three years in the top flight and their owner is keen to make them an even better side and ultimately secure a place in Europe in the next season or two. The squad was already looking pretty impressive and deep at the end of last season and a few good additions mean that the Kustboys deserve the tag of dark horses in the battle fee the top placers. Silvio Proto was lured from Anderlecht in what is a really eye-catching transfer. The experienced keeper may be on the wrong side of 30 but is still a very good goalie and his presence, along with that of the very reliable Didier Ovono, will ensure fierce competition for the spot between the sticks. Zarko Tomasevic is an important addition to the squad too as the Montenegrin can provide the sort of stability that was clearly lacking at the heart of defence last season. On the other hand, success brings interest to the star players in the team and indeed Jordan Lukaku became the first significant departure a week before the start of the new season. The attacking left-back secured a dream move to Lazio in the Serie A and this is a just reward for a player who has grown immensely in the past two seasons. Yet he is far from pivotal for the team as a whole and keeping the likes of Sebastien Siani, Fernando Canesin and Cyriac Gohi Bi is of bigger importance for Yves Vanderhaeghe. As a whole, he has a multifaceted and flexible squad that is not lacking in talent. With the momentum from last season still fresh, Oostende should not be afraid to aim high and it would be a surprise if they do even better than last year.