Mark De Grijze - KFC Diest

DIEST: What an disappointment for the guys from Diest, missing 4 A-players like Kristof Bloemen and Aristote Ndongala and Yarne Claessens and Daimy Deflem. Everybody was curious if KFC with all those missing players would get a result against KVK Beringen, missing no players. The game started very well for Diest, going into the 2H with a 3-0 lead. But Robert Verbeek, manager of Beringen, fired his team up and his team scored 3 times in a row, with Guy Geudens ruining the comeback of Beringen, Vandenabeele prevented that with scoring the equalizer in the 90+7th minute.

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DIEST: Consternation at Diest this morning after Guido Brepoels, assistant coach, told the board he was leaving for an offer from Rupel Boom, who play in the 3rd division (Diest = 5th). Rupel Boom stands last with 9 games to go and is 6pts behind a save spot. Brepoels who was more than an assistant, he helped arranging the trainings and coached the team in friendlies, with a 9 point lead on the 3rd this loss will still be a major issue. No possible replacements were heard.
DIEST: 41yr-old Stijn Geys is introduced as the new assistant coach for KFC Diest. Stijn who had a promotion with Londerzeel (from 4th to 3th division) but was fired before the new season could start. He had an harsh discussion with the board and some said tables and windows were broken.
But this wasn't confirmed. Stijn Geys is known as he wants to go all in, somehting that suits with Mark De Gryze, but less experience than Guido Brepoels and never worked on the highest level.

You really expect to be claiming all three points when you have a 3-0 lead over your opposition. To blow that and then surrender the lead again in stoppage-time is gutting and quite simply absolutely mental.

A less experienced option brought in to assist an inexperienced manager. Hopefully the lack of experience between the pair won't prove to be too costly.

An interesting move for De Grijze! I thought he seemed destined to create a legacy at Diest

Very interesting move. I have to agree with Shep!

A winning start is always pleasing. Well done to De Grijze!

DIEST: Positive thing for KFC Diest as François Kompany signed a new contract. François who joined on a free transfer in March 2021 and directly took the defence of Diest on his shoulders, lowered the average goals against with 1.02.

François let the media know that he's 32 years old now, played only 102 games in 14 years, "It's not time to move to a club to sit on a bench again, since I became 30 I realized that playing is the most important now, I chose for a steady career from now and I'm fully for the KFC Diest plan."

I'm glad to see that after the unfortunate events that happened to your PC, you were able to save your story It's also great to see that Mark has elected to remain with KFC Diest, and that commitment has clearly swayed François to decide to stay too. It'll be a tough road to the top of the Belgian football pyramid, but if KFC Diest can continue to hold onto their valuable pieces: it should hopefully happen sooner rather than later.

Good luck!

Looks like De Grijze really was Diestined to stay with Diest thanks to your PC!

DIEST: Striker Mathieu Vervaecke joins KFC Diest today on loan from Cercle Brugge, where he only played with the U21, after some months Mathieu got stuck on the bench with the U21 and so Mark De Grijze finds an temporarly replacement for Nestor Muala after Makie Konneh joins after this season.

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DIEST: What a debute of Mathieu Vervaecke for KFC Diest. Mathieu who started on bench saw his new club losing in the 1H with 2-0. Mark De Grijze substituted Senne Verbiest who broke his ankle on field for Mathieu Vervaecke in the 60th minute and with result, giving 3 assists for Guy Geudens, both strikers finished the job winning 2-3 at Vosselaar.

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DIEST: Mathieu didn't miss his start at KFC Diest, after his 3 assists in 30 minutes a week ago in his debute, Vervaecke now scored a hattrick against Alken an gave one assist. KFC Diest won the game easy with a 1-6. Leader Diest plays against the KVK Beringen.

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DIEST: 3 games in a row for KFC Diest and 3 times in a row Vervaecke is Man of the Match. In a very exiting game between No.1 and No.2, KFC Diest won the game with a late 2 - 1. A game with a lot chances looked like to end in a draw but in minute 90+4th minute, Dennis Klaps gave a nice cross and Mathieu Vervaecke scored with a header. After 25 games Diest now leads 3 points on Beringen and 9 points on BX Brussels.

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DIEST: Sad news for KFC Diest as Cercle Brugge called Vervaecke back to his club after his great performance. Mark De Grijze isn't happy with the decision: "If you loan out a player an call him back after 3 games that's just silly, we're loking for a way to solve this but because they called him back outside the transfer period we've no replacement.

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Comments
All: Since my PC got crashed I was unable to get my saves working so I went a few months back.
Sherp: Haha love that wordplay of Diest, going fully for the promotion!
ScottT: KFC Diest it is, we will see what it brings.
James: Indeed step by step is the best, I should learn at any division.

DIEST: KFC Diest is close to promotion but the question is if they gonna achieve it by championship or by Play-Off, KVK Beringen is with 3 games to go 1 point ahead. KFC Diest who won 30 of their 35 games and lost only once, standing on the 1st place since matchday 6. "We won twice against KVK Beringen and without those wins we were guarantee 2nd, so I'm very happy we got this lead on them cause of the two confrontations."

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DIEST: What a horror scenario for KFC Diest after they lost 1-0 against Wervik, meanwhile KVK Beringen made no mistake winning 0-4 at FC De Kempen. "This is just a horrible feeling, we were nearly whole the season on the first position and than this happens, I feel so sick about this, I had the thought for months that we could get this title. We're still going promote but now it's with Play-Offs but today we lost the title and that's so frustrating."

DIEST: "It's sad that we finished with 100 points, the second most of all 5th division clubs after KVK Beringen. Blankenberge who are champions in 5th A got 75 points and Wallonia Walhain got 77. But I have no fear, we will get it now." said Mark de Grijze.

No. 1 till No. 8 stay/promote to 4th division, while No. 9 and No. 10 stay/relegate to 5th division. The clubs only play one time against each other.

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DIEST: 9 / 9 for KFC Diest at the Play-Off, looking so far so good. KFC Diest took a good revenge on Esperenza Pelt after they picked their 2nd place at the end a year ago. 7-3, with 4 goals of Kristof Bloemen and 2 beautiful goals from Dennis Klaps who played against his ex club where he played for 3 years and scored 17 goals in 82 games.

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DIEST: Guy Geudens looks fired up after missing out on the title in 5th division, Guy scored 9 goals in his last 3 games making it a total of 17 goals in his last 7 games. Guy Geudens shows why Mark De Grijze shouldn't look at more strikers.

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DIEST: From the beginning of the Play-offs it was sure, KFC Diest is going for every win, you saw the passion and frustration after they give away the title and direct promotion away.

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DIEST: What a bad news for KFC Diest and Guy Geudens after he was so on fire the last weeks, now he injured himself in a game against the last in stand Duffel. A fan of KFC Diest blames Mark De Grijze: "Guy Geudens is our topstriker scoring 52 goals in 46 games in one season, I don't get why you let him start at such useless games, we were already promoted and he played over 40 games at an amateur club without a full-time fysio at the club, De Grijze thinks we're a big club with facilities."

Mark de Grijze agrees for some parts with the fan: "It's all very unfortunately how our striker problem happened, first Nestor Muala wasn't happy that Guy Geudens came so there started some troubles. Second was Makie Konneh only coming next season after some techincal problems acquired at the date of transfer and finally our loan-player from Cercle Brugge was called back after 3 games. At the moment there are no replacements at the youth, we only have a budget of 75k a season, to go for top players and have a brilliant youth system is just not possible at this level, it's the one of the other and everyone should be glad we got to chose one of those 2."

"The plans are now to give the best players a new contract, further we're looking at the staff, my opinion is that investing in the youth is cheaper in the long term and when we see the top amateur clubs (3rd division) having so much problems to promote, not on the sportive side but financially, Thes Sport was champions twice in a row in the 3rd division but refused to promote cause they would go bankrupt because of all the extra costs for the extend of the club and infrastructure that are needed to get the license to play professional football."

DIEST: A couple members of the staff decide to make an extra promotion an agreed to an offer of Dessel Sport who plays in the 3rd division and ended 3rd this year. After Marc Degryse (the Football Director, not the manager) left to Dessel Sport, Nico Huisman (Head Scout) and Michel De Wolf (Manager U21) and Laurent Wuillot (Trainer) shortly followed him. "It's shocking but I get their decision, they'll earn a lot more. It was nice if we could've kept our original staff and made it better but sadly now we need to look for a lot of new staff members.

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DIEST: Mart van de Gevel is the first transfer for KFC Diest in this new season, Mart, 32yr old, who comes free after his contract expired at Wezel Sport, who relegate to the 5th division after ending last, best player in that team was Mart van de Gevel with 5 goals and 9 assists in 37 games (5xMOTM, 7.12 average). van de Gevel signs a parttime contract of 240 euros per game.

Also 23yr old, Toon Opdekamp joins KFC Diest from Eendracht Termien for a fee of 3 500 euros. Toon who was the controller on the midfield gave 12 assists and scored 4 goals in 38 games, with an average rating of 7.24. Eendracht Termien finished last and relegates to the 5th division.

Yassine Ben Hamed, 19yr old French LB, comes on free transfer after his contract expired at Lille OSC II. Ben Hamed is a promising talent but the competition was to hard. "I'm very happy that I'm finally in a team where I will play, I mostly sit on the bench with Lille II and mostly played games with the youth but I'm ready start my career. Ben Hamed signs a 2yr contract and will earn 2.2k a month.

Somalian Ayman Hussein a CB of 21 years joins KFC Diest on a free transfer from Horseed, Somalia. The young Somalian who already got 14 caps for his country is seen as a huge talent in his country. Also Hotman El Kababri, 22yr-old RB, comes on a parttime contract after his contract expired at RSC Anderlecht.

Celestin De Schrevel, 19yr-old GK joins KFC Diest from OH Leuven on a free transfer.

DIEST: KFC Diest starts a partnership with provincial club Herk FC, their neighboors will get some players on loan and KFC Diest will help in the extension of the club. "A win-win for both clubs, but we've gotta watch out that we don't make them to strong" De Grijze laughed. Our youth is currently not in any competition so we needed to search a club nearby to let them play.

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DIEST Good news for Diest as Vervaecke joins again on loan after his previous time was ended after 4 games, "This time it's for a whole year" said De Grijze.
DIEST: Great win for Diest in their first game of the Belgian Cup of the season, the lads of De Grijze won --- against Diegem Sport who are in the same level of league playing as Diest, this big win is promising for the league which starts in 3 days.

To finish with 100 points and not go up as Champions is bonkers, and shows how strong your conference was compared to the others. Regardless, you've gone up via the playoffs, and a big off-season awaits you. I look forward to seeing the additions you make, as well the departures you'll allow, as you look to build on towards another promotion.

Well done, and good luck

Glad you managed to earn a thoroughly deserved promotion in the end. It would have been criminal if you didn't!