Antwerp FC announced today that Jonas De Roeck, a former player at the club, will take on the role of head coach, leading his first training session at the Bosuil on June 26.

De Roeck, born in Barcelona but raised in Belgium, fits the ideal profile: a young coach familiar with the competition who has a knack for identifying young talent. He is also a homegrown product, having progressed through the youth ranks at Bosuil, made his professional debut there in 1998, served as captain, and after some time away, concluded his playing career twith The Reds in 2015 as a player-assistant. Becoming head coach at his beloved club is “A dream come true.”

From July 7 to 13, Antwerp will head to Austria for preseason preparations in Waidring, a picturesque village in Tyrol. Acknowledging the tough challenge of succeeding Mark van Bommel, De Roeck is both realistic and ambitious: “Our goals remain to reach Play-off 1 and advance as far as possible in the cup.” Welcome back at the Bosuil, Jonas!