Jan Vertonghen on loss, family and the future of his foundation

Jan Vertonghen, 39, says the death of his father and sister‑in‑law has made everything feel "relative" and has shifted his focus from the spotlights to family, study and his Jan Vertonghen Foundation. The former Rode Duivel uses the interview to explore how personal tragedy reshapes his daily life.

A year after hanging up his boots, the ex‑international agreed to speak again, not about football but about his wife, three children and the charitable work that now occupies most of his time.

He spends two training sessions a week with Move to Cure and meets former teammates such as Romelu and Kevin, while also attending a UEFA‑related study in Tubize and drafting a thesis on the commercialisation of its training centre.

The Foundation was born around his hundredth cap, when his agents asked if they could give back to the community. He recalls hospital visits with Ajax youth players and recent trips with Anderlecht teammates Colin Coosemans, Mats Rits, Marco Kana and Yari Verschaeren.

"The first weeks at Anderlecht were the hardest in my career as a footballer," Vertonghen admits, referring to a turbulent transfer from Benfica that left him feeling torn between his family’s life in Lisbon and a new contract at Anderlecht.

He signed a deal until 2023, hoping to extend his career past the EK 2024 in Qatar, but the move ultimately forced him to choose between his children’s happiness and professional ambition.

Vertonghen says, "Everything is just so relative," after losing his father at nineteen and later his sister‑in‑law, adding that he now measures success by the smiles of children he helps rather than by match results.

Looking ahead, he plans to finish his UEFA study in May, possibly take another internship with a club, and keep the Foundation’s September paddle event in Antwerp, which will raise funds for seriously ill children.

He does not rule out a future role in football, but stresses that any job must allow him to continue supporting his family, his studies and the charitable projects that now define his post‑retirement identity.