Two teams, two relegation battles successfully fought for Rik De Mil

It has been quite an eventful season for Rik De Mil. The former Club Brugge caretaker head coach was brought in midway through the season to help Westerlo avoid relegation. He managed to secure the sides safety with a point against Genk on the final day of the regular season. However, the controversial nature of the ending to that game saw him sacked.

Almost immediately, he was brought in by Charleroi to try and help them avoid relegation from the Pro League. De Mil has once again proved to be successful in this role. After three games, the half-way point of the relegation play-offs, Charleroi are unbeaten and cannot be relegated automatically. If they avoid defeat in their next game against Eupen, they will finish top and be guaranteed of Pro League football next season.

Many Charleroi fans will hope that De Mil will then be given the resources to build upon this recent form next season. There is likely to be a high turnover of players, but at Westerlo he had already shown an ability to help bring along young players. There is certainly some talent in the squad, but it has not been complimented in past transfer markets. This summer is a big opportunity for Charleroi to turn around what has been a handful of seasons in which they have gone from European ticket hopefuls to relegation battlers.