Standard assistant Stilmant takes charge of Olympic Charleroi

During the international break, Frédéric Stilmant left the Standard staff to accept the role of head coach at L'Olympic Charleroi. The move was confirmed yesterday when the club announced Stilmant as the new T1, succeeding Kevin Caprasse. It marks a swift transition from assistant duties at Standard to leading the Dogues.

Stilmant leaves Standard

Frédéric Stilmant had been the right‑hand man of Vincent Euvrard at Standard, a partnership that also spanned spells at RWDM, Zulte Waregem and Dender. The departure comes as the Belgian league is on pause for the international window, allowing Stilmant to take up the Olympic Charleroi post without delay. His exit follows the recent dismissal of Mircea Rednic, creating the vacancy that Stilmant now fills.

Long‑standing link with Euvrard

The two first worked together at RWDM, where Euvrard brought Stilmant into his staff after a recommendation from Fred Vanderbiest. When John Textor dismissed Euvrader a few weeks after the club’s promotion to the first division, Stilmant followed him to Zulte Waregem without hesitation. Their collaboration continued at Dender, where Stilmant again served as Euvrard’s deputy before the pair arrived at Standard.

During their time together they oversaw 156 matches across the three clubs, building a rapport that Stilmant described as “already strong chemistry”. At Standard he was chiefly responsible for set‑piece routines, a role that earned him recognition within the Rouches’ coaching hierarchy.

Olympic Charleroi confirmed the appointment on Tuesday, noting that Stilmant will inherit a team that recorded four wins from fifteen matches in the first division last season under Caprasse. The club’s sporting director, Dante Brogno, praised the new coach, saying, “We chose a manager who possesses both tactical and human qualities. He was my captain twenty years ago and embodies the hunger, desire and self‑lessness we want on the pitch.”

Stilmant’s own playing career began more than thirty years ago in the national leagues, and he finished his playing days with the Dogues, giving him a deep personal connection to the club. He is expected to bring the same determination he displayed as a player to his new managerial duties.