Former Belgium manager and Schalke 04 Sporting Director Marc Wilmots given new role at Standard Liege | OneFootball

Standard Liege have announced that Marc Wilmots will be their new Sporting Director. The former Belgian international takes over from Fergal Harkin, who left the side a few weeks ago to join Bolton Wanderers. Wilmots now has the unenviable taks of trying to rebuild one of the Belgium’s biggest clubs on a shoestring budget. The side had very little money to spend last summer and it appears that it will be a similar situation this year, depending on whether or not a takeover happens.

Since retiring from playing, Wilmots has spent time at a variety of clubs and nations. He was briefly caretaker manager at Schalke 04, where he had played as a player. He then took on the head coaching role at Sint Truiden before ending up as head coach of Belgium between 2012 and 2016. Wilmots then left Europe for spells with Iran and the Cote d’Ivoire. His most recent head coaching role was with Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca, where he spent just a few months. Last January he took over as Sporting Director of German side Schalke 04 before he was let go alongside another Belgian in Karel Gaerets.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson