When he bought the Standard from Roland Duchatelet in June 2015, a few months after joining the club as vice-president, Bruno Venanzi raises a wave of enthusiasm among the supporters. From pure Liege, a supporter of Standard since his early childhood, the businessman presents a profile that is the opposite of his predecessor, whose cold management of this singular club had grown tired. The one we now stop in the street to take selfies embodies a true model of success: he is the Liégeois whose dazzling success in business amazes internationally. And the ambient enthusiasm suggests that he will have the same success in the world of football, which he discovers.
Standard fanatics, who see him as the long-awaited savior, discover a rather shy and reserved man, not really comfortable with speaking but determined to one thing: bring number 16 back to the throne. Since 2009, the Rouches have not had the opportunity to invade the Place Saint-Lambert and this child of Sclessin knows history too well to wait 25 years before exulting again.
For its first season, Venanzi is surrounded byOlivier Foxwhich succeeds Axel Lawarée as sports director, but also to Daniel Van Buyten. The young retiree undertakes his retraining in the world of management under the aegis of his historical agent, Christophe Henrotayand Venanzi welcomes the idea of a “sports adviser”, a kind of hybrid and free role to bring his expertise – and his good luck – to strengthen the workforce.
“This year it was chips. Next year it will be beer!!!”
He places at the head of the club Slavojlub Muslin. The Serb, not known to be a guarantee of stability, is thanked after only five meetings. Still stunned by this hasty departure, the people of Liège experienced a memorable defeat against Club Brugge by a certain Michel Preud’homme. With Eric Deflandre as an interim, Standard tastes, 7-1. This is a first shuffle for Venanzi, who is debauching the current trendy coach, Yannick Ferrerajust up from Division 2 with Saint-Trond.
Ferrera somehow straightens the trajectory of a club stuck at the bottom of the rankings. However, he failed to access the Playoffs 1 following a new debacle against Mechelen (4-0). In a burst of incredible pride, Standard nevertheless bounced back a week later by winning an unexpected Belgian Cup against Club Brugge. “This year it was chips. Next year it will be beer!!!” tweets the president of the club, in reference to the sponsor of the Cup, just won, and to that of the championship.
