Ultimately, Anderlecht didn’t work out, but Luc Nilis has now found a new job. He will be assistant and striker coach of Vital Borkelmans with the Jordan national team. “And he doesn’t have to do an internship with us,” says Borkelmans delicately.
The unemployed Luc Nilis (53) hoped to start working at Anderlecht as a striker coach. As a former player and icon of the club, he was invited for a two-week internship at the end of November. But despite “a positive evaluation” he did not get a contract at the beginning of this month. The proposal Purple & White made was far too low. A serious downer and so that positive story still had a painful outcome.
But look, we are two weeks further and Nilis has found something else, a good 4,500 kilometers away. He is fished by his former teammate at the Red Devils, none other than Vital Borkelmans (57). Borkelmans has been the national coach of Jordan since May 2018 and already had a Belgian and ex-teammate as an assistant with Stephan Van der Heyden (51). But now Nilis will be added to that.
Luc Nilis and Borkelmans in 1998, with Glen De Boeck between them
Photo: BELGA
Almost round
“It is 95 percent complete,” says Borkelmans, who explains to us why he is bringing Nilis in. “Look, I had a striker coach, but I gave him a position with our established B-team. So I needed someone new and Luc was my number one on the list. I played soccer, lived and slept with him, so I know him very well. And I know what he can teach. Of course I followed closely how he fared at Anderlecht. I honestly thought it was disrespectful how they treated him there. You won’t let someone like Luc – a monument of the club – come for an internship. I already get cold from that word ‘internship’. It also shows that as a Belgian trainer you have to prove yourself ten times more to get into Belgium than a foreigner. Anyway, since Luc couldn’t stay there, I made him a contract proposal, and he was super enthusiastic and immediately agreed. He doesn’t need to do an internship for me. In fact, we will play three more World Cup qualifying matches in March and June, against Kuwait, Australia and Nepal. If we continue to the next round, he will immediately receive a two-year contract. ”
And so Nilis’ adventure can soon begin. “He will start on 20 January, because then we will go to Qatar for a month’s training camp,” says Borkelmans. “But to be clear: Luc will be more than a striker’s trainer. He becomes a full assistant. Because he can not only teach the players kicking technique, he also has a lot of experience. The players will learn a lot from him. I am really pleased that he wanted to take on this adventure. His arrival is an enormous added value. ”
Nilis at the 1998 World Cup, with Borkelmans cheering along.
Photo: AFP
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