Anderlecht’s greatest player was on the pitch on Tuesday before the match started: Pär Zetterberg. Everyone was on their feet to greet Mister Z and fireworks were lit. Unfortunately, he was not seen again for the rest of the match.
Former Anderlecht player and icon Pär Zetterberg was back at Lotto Park on Tuesday evening for the first time since leaving in March 2020. He kicked off the match against Genk, but the defeat and especially the manner in which it happened affected him.
“Genk have a great team, with a nice balance between experience and youth. Without Coosemans, it would have been 0-3 or 0-4 at half-time,” he told Sudinfo. Zetterberg hopes Anderlecht can bounce back this season, but acknowledges it won’t be easy, especially with the absences of Vertonghen and Hazard.
Pär Zetterberg is still marked by his departure from Anderlecht
Zetterberg was warmly welcomed by the fans and said it was an important reason for his return. “The wound from my departure four years ago has not healed yet, but it was a great pleasure to be back. The reception from the fans was incredible, I didn’t expect it to be so intense. I came back for them,” Zetterberg said.
The Swede, who has won the Belgian championship six times and won the Golden Shoe twice, has a chance of being included in the Pro League’s “Hall of Fame”, a tribute to the greatest players in the Belgian competition.
“It’s an honour to be mentioned for the Hall of Fame. It’s for the players who have really left their mark on Belgian football, and I think I’m one of them,” Zetterberg said. “I will never forget what the Vanden Stock family did for me and for Anderlecht.”
