Twelve years ago, André Villas-Boas, then a young and promising coach, was briefly on Anderlecht’s radar. The Portuguese, recently elected with conviction president of FC Porto, was at the time a name that intrigued the sports management of Neerpede.
In 2012, RSC Anderlecht was faced with a crucial decision. After five successful years, the club was looking for a successor for Ariël Jacobs. Herman Van Holsbeeck, then manager of the club, had set his sights on John van den Brom, who was successful at Vitesse, and on Ralf Rangnick, available after his departure from Schalke.
But Van den Brom was bound by his contract and Rangnick preferred a role as coach. In the meantime, more and more names were arriving through agents. Among the candidates were notable figures like Gianfranco Zola and Paolo Di Canio. However, one name has caused commotion: André Villas-Boas, reports The Last Hour Today.
Anderlecht wanted to attract André Villas-Boas
The Portuguese had just experienced a tumultuous period at Chelsea, where he was fired in March 2012. Despite this setback, he remained one of the most promising coaches in the world, particularly due to his previous success at FC Porto.
Van Holsbeeck seized the opportunity and arranged a meeting with Villas-Boas’ agent. However, this discussion did not last long. “After two questions, it was already over,” laughs a witness to DH. The second question was about the financial aspect, and at that point the project immediately foundered.
Villas-Boas earned a net salary of three million euros per year at Chelsea. In comparison, Ariël Jacobs had a gross annual salary of around 500,000 euros. Although Villas-Boas has never been Anderlecht coach, he returns to Lotto Park on Thursday. Not as a coach, but as president of FC Porto.
