Pasquale Sensibile: “Our squad for the new season is complete”
Five days before the start of the Challenger Pro League season, KAS Eupen sporting director Pasquale Sensibile spoke at a press conference about the club’s preparations for the new campaign. “We are ready for the start of the new season. Since June 28, we have been working intensively and very well under our new head coach Felice Mazzù and his staff, with our full focus on the opening game this Saturday against Jong Genk. We did not go on a training camp, instead using our own stadium to build the team and integrate our new players,” Pasquale Sensibile told journalists.
Two weeks of training with the full squad
The sporting director also confirmed that KAS Eupen’s squad for the upcoming season is complete. “Together with the coach, our goal was to have the squad complete two weeks before the start of the league season. We achieved that, as our latest signing, Chris-Kévin Nadje, joined us at the end of July. The team was thus able to put the new manager’s philosophy into practice, which focuses on a more vertically oriented style of play and quicker transitions.”
KAS Eupen have mutually agreed to terminate the contracts of Daniel Kasper and Ade Oguns, which were still running. Similar solutions are being sought with Zakaria Atteri and Uri Busquets. “I would like to thank these players for their commitment and professionalism in working towards a mutually agreed solution,” the KAS Eupen sporting director emphasized.
To be in the running for promotion
Speaking about the club’s objectives for the new season, Pasquale Sensibile said: “QSI’s objective is to bring KAS Eupen back to the Jupiler Pro League. Last season, we missed the play-offs. This season, we want to field a team that can compete for the title. However, we know this will not be easy, especially as there will be only one direct promotion place this time. Competitors such as Patro Eisden, Beerschot, RFC Liège and RFC Seraing are also well equipped.”
“The most consistent team will win the title”
Pasquale Sensibile also has a firm opinion on who will ultimately come out on top: “In this league, it isn’t necessarily the best team that wins, but rather the most consistent one. With this in mind, we’ve put together a high-quality squad, with whom we’ve been working tirelessly for the past six weeks to achieve our goal. But we know that three or four other clubs have similar ambitions and that the battle will be tough. “We want to be in the running right until the end to reach the Jupiler Pro League.”
U23 team as a stepping stone to the first team
At the end of the press conference, the sporting director highlighted the important role played by the club’s U23 team. “Six players from the PandaYoungsters23 took part in pre-season training and helped ensure the high quality of our training sessions. With Jaden Malhage, Raphael Di Matteo and Théo Maréchal, we are now bringing three of these players into our first-team squad, which has been significantly rejuvenated compared to last season. The aim is to offer our U23 players the best possible transition to the first team.”