Scottish referee, fit newcomers lift Anderlecht before Hammarby

Anderlecht will open its season on Thursday with a European away match against Hammarby in Sweden, and head coach Vitor Bruno has confirmed that new signings Nathan Saliba and César Huerta are fully fit. The game will be broadcast LIVE on VTM2, and the 39‑year‑old Schotse referee Donald Robertson will take charge of the fixture.

At the pre‑match press conference, Vitor Bruno answered a question on pressure by saying, “In football you must enjoy it. So pressure… no. We know it is a football match with a lot of responsibility because we play for the badge.” He added that his team’s identity is a “winning‑identity”.

Bruno then turned to the squad, stating plainly, “Saliba and Huerta are speelklaar, they can play. The rest you will see tomorrow.” Both players have just re‑joined the club after the World Cup.

The Schotse referee Donald Robertson, a Glasgow native, has fifteen years of experience and has officiated 543 matches, issuing 1 756 yellow cards, 93 reds and 133 penalties. He has been refereeing European games since 2017 but has not yet reached the Champions League.

Preparation levels differ markedly: Anderlecht have had four weeks of training and a few friendlies, while Hammarby have already played fourteen league games, sit second in the Allsvenskan and sit nine points behind leaders Sirius, who have one game fewer.

A minor travel hiccup occurred when the towbar that pulls the team’s plane backwards broke on the tarmac. A replacement towbar was found, the aircraft suffered no damage and the estimated flight time to Stockholm was 1 hour 50 minutes.

Around 383 Anderlecht supporters have travelled to Stockholm; the 3Arena in Stockholm can hold roughly 33 000 spectators, and the match is not yet sold out.

The report was filed by Frank DekeyserOnze, a journalist based in Zweden23, with a note to set as the Google‑favorietHet source. The article stresses the Europese trip, the upcoming Europa League second‑round tie, and mentions Met the team’s readiness despite the Schot challenges.