Vinny joins Anderlecht as player/manager (Simon Davies follows him)

Plain Speaking said:
Not read it yet please delete if duplicated
"
An Open Letter to the fans.
Part 2 of 2

And yet I choose to rebel against what an end wants to be. I choose to be grateful for the past but remain ambitious and driven for the future.
For the next 3 years, I will take up the role of Player-Manager of RSC Anderlecht.
Belgium’s finest.

This may come as a surprise to you.
It’s the most passionate yet rational decision I’ve ever made.

As a footballer, I was born and raised at RSC Anderlecht.
Since the age of 6, I have been one with that club.
A history of 34 league titles, they are second to none.

The background to this story…
Belgian entrepreneur Marc Coucke acquired the club from the Vanden Stock family in December 2017.
What followed was a post take-over set back for a club that seemed robust but proved fragile.
Although the take-over triggered a positive new vibe, sporting results did not follow.

I stopped at their training grounds on my way to international duty last year. Just to say hello.
Coucke, the chairman, and Sports Director Michael Verschueren asked my opinion regarding the difficult situation the club was in.
I shared my thoughts and listened to their vision for the future: ambitious, courageous and determined to get back to n°1.
I offered my help, no strings attached, should they need it.

Later on in the season, newly appointed Technical Director Frank Arnesen joined and we organized some technical sessions on how to build a strong playing identity based on attractive, attacking football.
RSCA has a tradition of having fantastic youth.
You could say they have the past and the future, but struggle with the present.

Not so long ago, I took a call from RSC Anderlecht.
Quite unexpectedly, they offered me the position of Player-Manager.
Michael and Frank explained to me in detail how they saw it working in practice.
They had thought it through.
Mr. Coucke, the owner, pledged full support: time, budget, framework, staff, facilities …
I was left not only impressed, but also intrigued by this sign of confidence in me.
It got me thinking.

The end of this season couldn’t be more memorable.
I have lived the dream here.
I have learned so much the last 3 years.
From an incredible manager.
Pep Guardiola reignited my love for the game.
I’ve witnessed, participated, analyzed, absorbed, studied.
Man City play the football I want to play.
It is the football I want to teach and to see played.

I have decided to take up the challenge at RSC Anderlecht.
Player-Manager.
I want to share my knowledge with the next purple generations.
With that, I will also put a bit of Manchester in the heart of Belgium.

This is no goodbye. It’s a see you later.
Et pour les Mauves, voor alle Anderlecht fans: tot binnenkort, à très bientôt.

Love,

Vincent
Click to expand...
Vincent you have been a treasure to our great club.
 
Plain Speaking said:
Not read it yet please delete if duplicated
"
An Open Letter to the fans.
Part 2 of 2

And yet I choose to rebel against what an end wants to be. I choose to be grateful for the past but remain ambitious and driven for the future.
For the next 3 years, I will take up the role of Player-Manager of RSC Anderlecht.
Belgium’s finest.

This may come as a surprise to you.
It’s the most passionate yet rational decision I’ve ever made.

As a footballer, I was born and raised at RSC Anderlecht.
Since the age of 6, I have been one with that club.
A history of 34 league titles, they are second to none.

The background to this story…
Belgian entrepreneur Marc Coucke acquired the club from the Vanden Stock family in December 2017.
What followed was a post take-over set back for a club that seemed robust but proved fragile.
Although the take-over triggered a positive new vibe, sporting results did not follow.

I stopped at their training grounds on my way to international duty last year. Just to say hello.
Coucke, the chairman, and Sports Director Michael Verschueren asked my opinion regarding the difficult situation the club was in.
I shared my thoughts and listened to their vision for the future: ambitious, courageous and determined to get back to n°1.
I offered my help, no strings attached, should they need it.

Later on in the season, newly appointed Technical Director Frank Arnesen joined and we organized some technical sessions on how to build a strong playing identity based on attractive, attacking football.
RSCA has a tradition of having fantastic youth.
You could say they have the past and the future, but struggle with the present.

Not so long ago, I took a call from RSC Anderlecht.
Quite unexpectedly, they offered me the position of Player-Manager.
Michael and Frank explained to me in detail how they saw it working in practice.
They had thought it through.
Mr. Coucke, the owner, pledged full support: time, budget, framework, staff, facilities …
I was left not only impressed, but also intrigued by this sign of confidence in me.
It got me thinking.

The end of this season couldn’t be more memorable.
I have lived the dream here.
I have learned so much the last 3 years.
From an incredible manager.
Pep Guardiola reignited my love for the game.
I’ve witnessed, participated, analyzed, absorbed, studied.
Man City play the football I want to play.
It is the football I want to teach and to see played.

I have decided to take up the challenge at RSC Anderlecht.
Player-Manager.
I want to share my knowledge with the next purple generations.
With that, I will also put a bit of Manchester in the heart of Belgium.

This is no goodbye. It’s a see you later.
Et pour les Mauves, voor alle Anderlecht fans: tot binnenkort, à très bientôt.

Love,

Vincent
Click to expand...


Got me crying all over again.
 
Vinnie, beyond legendary status at City, simple as. I was at his debut and knew then there was something special about this guy, and finally I was there yesterday to see him help win us the FA Cup! The time seems to have flown by but my God hes left an indelible mark on me, my kids and my club. A man never to be forgotten, to be held up there is the highest of esteem by one and all involved in City. In years to come research into future DNA will show a Kompany gene coursing through City's own strand of that I'm sure. He is without doubt Manchester City, he is our future past sat along with all our other current past heroes of City. I shall miss this Gentleman not being part of my current City. I wish him nothing but the best for his future career and I have a feeling it's not the last we will see of Vinnie at our club......
 
Absolutely gutted on hearing the news that one of my all time favourite City players is moving on.
Like Zabba, Vinny bleeds blue and I wish him all the best.
A true colossus and the best ever City Captain.
I`ll be seeing you in September Big Man.
Thanks for all the memories.
 
Thank you Vincent, you have been there and done all the right things for the last decade and led with great skills as a captain.

Good luck at Anderlecht.
 
This no goodbye. It a see you later . Vinny will be a huge success at Anderlecht i have no doubt , so hopefully will see him later in two or three years in a Champs league final, he never managed that playing for us , but a 2022 Champs league final of City v Anderlecht would be a dream come true , obviously pending any bans, fines or corporal punishment UEFA can muster between now and then.
 
The film in the dressing room is killing me.

And the timing of the announcement. Is it too much to read into it a gentle reminder to savour every moment we have with this extraordinary team and manager? Because one day, it'll be gone?

It's how I read it anyway. Our Captain, The Captain: teaching us to the very end.
 
just woke up to this news.....my heart dropped, but, life goes on....can never thank Vincent enough for his contribution to our club
never will he be replaced in my heart. the definition of a warrior
 
Sad that he is leaving, but it's the right time for him and for us. And the opportunity for him to return to Anderlecht as a player manager is right for him, an opportunity to still play at a level his body should be able to cope with, to test himself as a manager, to develop young players at the club that developed him. Perhaps he also sees it as an opportunity to give his children a different lifestyle, to experience his own culture, language etc - that has to be good for them.

First heard of him in Football Manager, one of those promising young players you had to try and sign - was surprised to see that his career had stalled in Germany and he was available to us at the time - it felt like a bit of a coup, yet also a risk for both club and player - perhaps he was never going to fulfil his potential and all he could aspire to was a struggling Premier League club, or we were a stepping stone onto a bigger move. As it is it turned out, it was the perfect match, he grew as the club grew, we learned to win together. Instead of being uncertain whether he was a defensive midfielder or centre back he became the perfect centre back, he was clearly captain by default by the the time of FA Cup semi-final and there was no doubt who would become the long term leader. It has been such a privilege to watch him play and to know that he is our captain.

I hope we will see him back at City in some capacity, perhaps as a manager, or Technical director - but whatever I know we will follow his career with interest and affection - just hope he doesn't turn up managing a rival one day. But wherever he goes we will see a team looking to play football the right way and we will see a team that won't know when it is beaten.
 
Well what a way to finish. Nothing but heartfelt admiration for the fella and I wish him all the very best. Legend. Be weird not seeing him next season.
 
Absolute colossal on and off the pitch, inspiration, leader, captain and legend - our most important captain since Andy Morrison. All the best skip - surely the footballing gods will make a city vs anderlecht European tie
 
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