Former Italian international Andrea Pirlo has joined Anderlecht and will become the clubs new Assistant Manager, Pirlo has signed a 3 year deal with the club worth $7,000 a week

FormerAC Milan and Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo is relishing the challenge of linking up with former team-mate Fabio Cannavaro after being confirmed as Anderlecht's new assistant manager.
The 37-year-old will work alongside Fabio as the pair attempt to continue Anderlechts dominance in Belgian football

Pirlo said: "I am delighted to be joining Anderlecht and I look forward to what promises to be an exciting challenge."

He added: "I am grateful to Anderlecht for making this happen, and I would like also to thank my good friend Fabio Cannavaro.

Fabio also had a few more words to say about Andrea : Pirlo has a great knowledge of football, and he'll be a great asset and a big help to everybody here at Anderlecht Football Club.
"I'm really looking forward to working with him and I'm delighted that he's here.

"As a player, he was one of the most accomplished in the history of the Serie A, and he's brought that experience gained over many years into his career in coaching and management. The players will love working with him.

heres a quick look at what Andrea Pirlo achieved in his playing days

April started off very poorly with a loss against our bogey side KV Kortrijk which has seen us lose to them 3 out of the past 4 meetings. we were dominated in this match and deserved to lose,
but what a reaction the players gave me in the matches to come with four straight wins against Genk, Brugge, Standard and Zulte scoring 11 goals whilst only conceding 2. if we keep this current form going there in no way we will be stopped on route to another title

what a turnaround in fortunes this has been in the last month, Anderlecht now sitting top of the Jupiler League with only 4 matches remaining. we only require 12 points to retain the championship though it could be won earlier if results do go our way.
Genk though are feeling the affects of Jelle Vossens injury and find themselves in 6th place and now have a mountian to climb if they are to claim a Europlain place for next season

David Villa has claimed Anderlechts player of the month for April with some devastating performances in front of goal scoring 9 goals in only 5 matches.
though not the youngest player in the Anderlecht squad, David Villa has shown he still has that predatory instinct which had seen him feared throughout europe for many years, long may this form continue

Anderlecht have lifted the Cofidis Cup for 2015/16 after a far from routine victory against OH Leuven. Anderlecht were made to work for the win with Leuven not looking like a side making there first Cup final in nearly two decades.
Leuven did take early control of the match and really looked to press Anderlecht in an attempt to rattle there more fancied opponents and on 14 minutes they silenced the Parts-Wit fans by taking the lead through Johan Dehond after he escaped his marker and sent a bullet header past Cillessen who had no chance, Anderlecht were rattled as Leuven went for another but they managed to weather the storm,

Fabio Cannavaros then moved Dennis Praet to a more deeper midfield role to try and regain and retain possession, swapping places with Youri Tielemans who is a more robust type of player who prefers to beat players with power and strength, On the stroke of halftime Thorgen Hazard found Mbemba all by himself out wide who put in a delicious cross onto the head of Mitrovic who made no mistake placing his downward header into the bottom right corner, the keeper left rooted to the spot.

At Halftime the two sides would go into the dressing rooms level

Amir Abrashi replaced Tielemans at the break to give Anderlecht abit more steel in the middle of the park and to allow Hazard more space to roam and Hazard took advantage firing off two shots at the Leuven goal in quick succession, though no goals came from it Leuven had been warned.
Anderlecht continued to lay siege on Leuven as they desperately tried to avoid going into extra. But as the match wore on both sides looked very tired and unable to break each other down.

with only 2 minutes left in the 90 Dennis Praet saw the run of Mitrovic who bypassed the Leuven centrebacks and thread the eye of a needle with a pin point pass, Mitrovic was all alone with only the keeper to beat, surely he would just place it into the bottom corner but no, Mitrovic does what he does best and buried the ball into the top left corner leaving the keeper with no chance. Anderlecht had taken the lead with only 1 minute left on the clock.

As Leuven tried to conjure up one last chance the referee brought an end to this thrilling match which has not disappointed anyone.
Fabio Cannavaro has lifted the Cofidis Cup for the first time since taking charge of Anderlecht nearly 3 years ago and what a way to do it

Fabio Cannavaro must make sure celebrations are kept to a minimum to ensure they get the job done in the final 4 matches of the season as they fight for the title, Standard Liege are the opponents on the final day which could prove to be the decider as both teams are within a couple of points of one another