Time-limited future in bianconero for Marouane Fellaini

In Belgium since early December for “family reasons,” Marouane Fellaini has decided to get back into the game at Charleroi, joining a technical staff for the first time since retiring. The former Belgian national team midfielder, with 142 appearances and 50 goals, had ended his career in 2023 at the end of his experience with Shandong Taishan in China, then moved to live in Dubai. Taking advantage of his stay in Belgium, the former Manchester United player, now 38, has chosen to join the Royal Charleroi SC staff for a few weeks free of charge, starting the week of Dec. 8.

On the occasion of the Champions League match between Union Saint-Gilloise and Olympique Marseille (2-3), Fellaini met with his friend Mehdi Bayat, Charleroi’s main shareholder since 2022 and former president of the Royal Belgian Football Federation. In the course of the discussion, the difficult situation of the club, currently 12th in the Jupiler Pro League and far from the season’s goals, emerged. Hence Fellaini’s decision to offer his contribution on a voluntary basis, “out of friendship.”

“I’m only here for a few weeks. But what I can bring to Charleroi is my experience, my experience, the grit I have. I will play a role as an intermediary between the staff and the players – he explained at the press conference.”

It is a completely new thing for me to be part of a staff. I will start by observing and learning, then we will see in the future.”

“The fact that he can share his experience is a gift that fell from the sky – added his friend Mehdi Bayat, majority shareholder of Royal Charleroi -. He is here mostly for the players. I hope he enjoys his role next to them and also manages to convey this pleasure, helping them to improve. I am convinced that sharing something with a person of his caliber can only be good for our players.”