Founded in 1904, KV Mechelen is a Belgian football institution rooted in the city of Mechelen and recognised by its yellow-and-red identity. Known locally as Malinwa, the club combines a close-knit community culture with a remarkable European legacy, including the 1988 European Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup. Its home, the AFAS Stadion, remains central to that character, with the historic Achter de Kazerne name reflecting the ground’s place in local football memory. This profile brings together the club’s present structure and enduring story.
KV Mechelen Upcoming matches by league
Jupiler Pro League
-
- Regular Season - 7
Lommel United
KV Mechelen
-
- Regular Season - 8
KV MechelenNo H2HSt. Truiden
-
- Regular Season - 9
KortrijkNo H2HKV Mechelen
-
- Regular Season - 10
KV MechelenNo H2HGenk
KV Mechelen Last matches by league
Jupiler Pro League
Friendlies Clubs
Cup
KV Mechelen Team Roster
The recorded squad contains 32 players: eight attackers, ten defenders, ten midfielders and four goalkeepers. Selected attacking options include B. Raman, Bouke Boersma, Shina Ayodele and H. Özdemir. The defensive group features José Marsà, L. Hjelde, T. St. Jago and G. Diouf, while D. Praet, Ryan Teague, F. Hammar and M. Kireev are listed as midfielders. O. De Wolf, Nacho Mirás, Axel Willockx and Tijn Van Ingelgom make up the goalkeeper group. The roster therefore records coverage across every principal outfield line and goalkeeping position.
position Goalkeeper
Ortwin De Wolf
Ignacio Mirás Blanco
Tijn Van Ingelgom
Axel Willockx
position Defender
Luc Marijnissen
José Martínez Marsà
Gora Diouf
Leo Fuhr Hjelde
Adrían Eduardo Choco Cordova
Kobe Corbanie
Tommy Luciano St. Jago
Mike Eerdhuijzen
position Midfielder
Fredrik Carl Michael Hammar
Thérence Ange Koudou
Dikeni-Rafid Salifou
Ryan Teague
Maksim Kireev
Bilal Bafdili
Simion Michez
Dennis Pierre Jacques Albert Praet
Marco Decherf
Massimo Stephane Decoene
A. Ouahabi
position Attacker
Myron van Brederode
Benito Dirk Raman
Shina Ayodele
Cedric Jan Van Meirvenne
Halil Özdemir
Keano Van Rafelghem
Bouke Boersma
Bill Leeroy Antonio
Last KV Mechelen Coachs
Frederik Vanderbiest is the latest name in KV Mechelen’s recorded coaching chronology, with a spell beginning on 1 March 2025. No end date is shown, but the available chronology does not confirm him as the current holder of the role. Besnik Hasi’s spell ran from November 2023 to March 2025, following a brief Vanderbiest entry dated November 2023. Steven Defour’s recorded spell ran from October 2022 to November 2023, after Danny Buijs began a tenure in June 2022.
Frederik Vanderbiest
History
| Coach | Coach country | Coach since | Coach until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frederik Vanderbiest | Belgium | 1 March 2025 | |
| Frederik Vanderbiest | Belgium | 1 November 2023 | 1 November 2023 |
| Besnik Hasi | Kosovo | 1 November 2023 | 1 March 2025 |
| Steven Arnold Defour | Belgium | 1 October 2022 | 1 November 2023 |
| Danny Buijs | Netherlands | 1 June 2022 | 1 October 2022 |
| Wouter Vrancken | Belgium | 1 August 2018 | 1 May 2022 |
| Dennis van Wijk | Netherlands | 1 January 2018 | 1 August 2018 |
| Aleksandar Janković | Serbia | 1 November 2017 | 1 January 2018 |
| 1 October 2017 | |||
| Yannick Ferrera | Belgium | 1 September 2016 | 1 October 2017 |
| Aleksandar Janković | Serbia | 1 May 2014 | 1 September 2016 |
| Franky Vercauteren | Belgium | 1 January 2014 | 1 May 2014 |
| Marc Brys | Belgium | 1 May 2010 | 1 May 2012 |
| Peter Maes | Belgium | 1 July 2006 | 1 May 2010 |
| Andre Wetzel | Indonesia | 1 July 2005 | 31 December 2005 |
| Georges Leekens | Belgium | 1 July 1991 | 1 June 1992 |
KV Mechelen Transfers
The recent arrivals record includes L. Hjelde from Sunderland and Shina Ayodele from Lille, both listed as transfers. D. Praet and K. Corbanie arrived from Antwerp as free agents, while C. Van Meirvenne joined from K. Lierse S.K. And Bouke Boersma from De Graafschap in recorded transfers. Ryan Teague and Noah Makanza are listed as returns from loan, while T. Koudou arrived from PAU in a transfer. Other entries include L. Golic from Roma U20 as a free agent and M. Kireev from K. Lierse S.K. In a transfer. These examples do not represent a complete arrivals total.
Latest player transfers from
| Player | Team from | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
Dunkerque
|
Transfer | 2 September 2026 | |
| S. Michez |
Slavia Praha
|
Transfer | 26 August 2026 |
| S. Michez |
Slavia Praha
|
Transfer | 25 August 2026 |
| M. Eerdhuijzen |
Utrecht
|
Transfer | 21 August 2026 |
| M. Eerdhuijzen |
Utrecht
|
Transfer | 20 August 2026 |
| L. Marijnissen |
Dender
|
Transfer | 14 August 2026 |
| L. Hjelde |
Sunderland
|
Transfer | 10 August 2026 |
| L. Hjelde |
Sunderland
|
Transfer | 9 August 2026 |
Lille
|
Transfer | 5 August 2026 | |
| D. Praet |
Antwerp
|
Free agent | 15 July 2026 |
| C. Van Meirvenne |
K. Lierse S.K.
|
Transfer | 30 June 2026 |
| M. Lohunanu-Mbasi |
Oud-Heverlee Leuven II
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| K. Corbanie |
Antwerp
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| C. Van Meirvenne |
K. Lierse S.K.
|
Transfer | 30 June 2026 |
| Noah Makanza |
Helmond Sport
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
Recent departures include M. Lenaerts on loan to Helmond Sport, M. Konaté as a free agent to Al-Hazm, and R. Halhal in a transfer to Venezia. Xander van der Velde and L. Cicero left for Helmond Sport as free agents, while M. Servais moved to Millwall in a transfer. K. Mrabti joined AEK Larnaca as a free agent, and Ryan Teague went to Melbourne City on loan. Further recorded transfers involve L. Lauberbach to Venezia, P. Pflücke to Charleroi and R. Schoofs to Union St. Gilloise. S. Welsh returned to Celtic after a loan. The departures record also includes other movements, so these entries are not a complete total.
Latest player transfers to
| Player | Team to | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noah Makanza |
UMM Salal
|
Transfer | 1 September 2026 |
| Lovro Golič |
Helmond Sport
|
Loan | 1 September 2026 |
| L. Golic |
Helmond Sport
|
Loan | 1 September 2026 |
| Noah Makanza |
UMM Salal
|
Transfer | 31 August 2026 |
| M. Zekri |
Sporting CP
|
Transfer | 24 August 2026 |
| K. Mrabti |
AEK Larnaca
|
Free agent | 7 August 2026 |
| Mauro Lenaerts |
Helmond Sport
|
Loan | 5 August 2026 |
| M. Lenaerts |
Helmond Sport
|
Loan | 5 August 2026 |
| M. Konaté |
Al-Hazm
|
Free agent | 31 July 2026 |
| R. Halhal |
Venezia
|
Transfer | 31 July 2026 |
| Xander van der Velde |
Helmond Sport
|
Free agent | 17 July 2026 |
| M. Servais |
Millwall
|
Transfer | 5 July 2026 |
|
Helmond Sport
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 | |
| Lukas Baert |
Heist
|
Free agent | 29 June 2026 |
| K. Mrabti |
AEK Larnaca
|
Free agent | 29 June 2026 |
Transfers Synthesis
Taken together, the recent movement record shows activity in both directions and a mixture of recruitment mechanisms. Arrivals include direct transfers from Sunderland, Lille, K. Lierse S.K., De Graafschap, PAU and Roma U20 alongside free-agent additions from Antwerp and Roma U20 and returns from loans at Melbourne City and Helmond Sport. The departure side combines transfers to Venezia, Millwall, Charleroi and Union St. Gilloise with free-agent moves to Al-Hazm, Helmond Sport and AEK Larnaca. Loans also appear in both directions: M. Lenaerts moved to Helmond Sport, Ryan Teague went to Melbourne City, while S. Welsh returned to Celtic after a loan. Several names appear in more than one movement context: Ryan Teague is listed as leaving for Melbourne City before returning, while Noah Makanza is recorded as returning from Helmond Sport and later going back there on loan. Because the recent lists are limited selections rather than exhaustive registers, they describe the shape of recorded activity without establishing a complete balance or overall squad turnover.
Leagues KV Mechelen has participated in
KV Mechelen has recorded participation in the Jupiler Pro League from 2010 through 2025, with recent activity recorded through 2025. Cup participation is recorded from 2020 through 2025, as are Friendlies Clubs. The Super Cup appears from 2019 to 2022 and is historical here because its latest recorded year predates the recent period. The Challenger Pro League is also historical, with a single recorded year in 2018. The competition profile therefore covers league, cup and friendly football without confirming a 2026 fixture list or present-season schedule.
More about KV Mechelen
KV Mechelen, formally known as Yellow Red Koninklijke Voetbalclub Mechelen, is one of Belgium’s historic football institutions. Founded in 1904 in Mechelen, Antwerp Province, the club is rooted in a city with a strong football culture and carries the local names Malinwa and De Kakkers. Yellow and red define its visual identity, from the traditional striped home shirt to the club’s heraldic badge and royal associations.
The team plays at the AFAS Stadion, a ground long known to supporters as Achter de Kazerne, or Behind the Barracks. Its location north of the city centre and residential neighbourhoods contributes to an intimate setting, while steep stands near the pitch help sustain the intense atmosphere associated with Mechelen home matches. The venue’s history reaches back to the early twentieth century and its modern redevelopment has preserved the sense of a compact, supporter-focused football ground.
KV Mechelen’s most celebrated sporting chapter came in the late 1980s. In 1988, the club won the European Cup Winners’ Cup and then the UEFA Super Cup, achievements that gave it an enduring place in Belgian and European football history. It remains widely described as the last Belgian club to win a major European trophy. That legacy sits alongside a more complex domestic story, shaped by top-flight seasons, periods of relegation and recovery, and the resilience of a club often associated with a phoenix identity.
The club’s ecosystem is strongly local even as its squad and coaching network draw on international links. Its governance has traditionally combined private investment with local and supporter involvement. Mechelen’s rivalry with KRC Mechelen adds another layer to the city’s football culture, while the club’s yellow-and-red symbols connect the professional side with local civic tradition. Together, history, venue, colour and community give KV Mechelen a distinct place in Belgian football.
Last matches statistics for KV Mechelen
| match | shots | Poss. | Pass % | Fouls | Cards | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Heist
0 - 1
KV Mechelen
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
KV Mechelen
2 - 3
ADO Den Haag
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Willem II
1 - 0
KV Mechelen
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
KV Mechelen
0 - 0
Dunkerque
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Gent
2 - 0
KV Mechelen
|
2 / 5 |
|
83 | 11 | 1 | 6 |
|
KV Mechelen
3 - 3
Standard Liege
|
4 / 19 |
|
75 | 8 | - | 4 |
|
Charleroi
2 - 0
KV Mechelen
|
0 / 5 |
|
76 | 15 | - | 2 |
|
RAAL La Louvière
2 - 2
KV Mechelen
|
7 / 16 |
|
83 | 8 | 2 | 3 |
|
KV Mechelen
0 - 4
KVC Westerlo
|
1 / 8 |
|
0% | 15 | 3 | 1 |
|
KV Mechelen
0 - 1
Anderlecht
|
4 / 15 |
|
0% | 13 | 1 | 2 |
Detailed statistics KV Mechelen
Xtra rating history
Last rating points (most recent matches).
shots KV Mechelen
Warnings KV Mechelen
Passes KV Mechelen
Goalkeeper saves KV Mechelen
Latest start lineups KV Mechelen (XI)
KV Mechelen vs Anderlecht
Jupiler Pro League 2026 - 1558626
KV Mechelen vs KVC Westerlo
Jupiler Pro League 2026 - 1558619
RAAL La Louvière vs KV Mechelen
Jupiler Pro League 2026 - 1558609
Charleroi vs KV Mechelen
Jupiler Pro League 2026 - 1558601
KV Mechelen vs Standard Liege
Jupiler Pro League 2026 - 1558597
Gent vs KV Mechelen
Jupiler Pro League 2026 - 1558586
2025-2026
1st shirt
2023-2024
1st shirt
2023-2024
3rd shirt
2022-2023
1st shirt
2022-2023
2nd shirt
2022-2023
3rd shirt
2021-2022
1st shirt
2021-2022
2nd shirt
2021-2022
3rd shirt
2021-2022
4th shirt
2021-2022
5th shirt