OH Leuven at risk of copying sister club Leicester City as gap to safety grows | OneFootball

After King Power and the late Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha bought Leicester City in 2010, it took the owners until the end of the 2013/2014 season to finally see the Foxes promoted. Money was spent, but in the end it was worth it as they went on to shock English football in 2015/2016.

In 2017, the club expanded its football operations by joining a number of sides who owned clubs abroad. King Power bought OH Leuven, at the time a second division side in Belgian football. The goal was to develop OH Leuven into a top flight team, as well as provide an avenue for young talent to develop. The first goal took three seasons, with the club winning promotion during the COVID-19 hiatus. It would not be harsh to say that the second goal of player development has been non-existent.

With the backing of King Power, OH Leuven should have been able to transition into a solid top flight side. After a handful of decent seasons however, the team looks set for a return to the second tier, just like their sister club Leicester City last season. Recruitment has been poor, even last season. Many of the players that came in during the 2022/2023 summer transfer window either did not play or were out the door in January.

This season, the club have signed 11 players, with Transfermarkt having the total spend at around €9m. Yet the influx of a new starting XI has not improve the sides fortunes. Despite a mixed season, they somehow recovered to finish 10th, the best since their promotion. However, it was clear from the outside that something needed to change. There were rumours that players were unhappy with Marc Brys, who had come in after promotion was one. Yet Brys remained, with the side struggling for rhythm and consistency.

After just two wins in the opening 10 games, the powers that be finally caved in to fan and presumably player pressure to get rid of Brys. His replacement was former Watford and Brighton man Oscar Garcia. Things have not improved, with the side yet to win a league game under the Spanish head coach.

During all that, the gap to safety has grown to five points. Not impossible to change, but the club will need to recruit well in January, something they have failed to do in recent seasons. At the moment, it appears that OH Leuven are destined to follow in the footsteps of Leicester City and return to the Challenger Pro League next season.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson