Marouane Fellaini joins Charleroi staff on short voluntary spell | OneFootball

Marouane Fellaini has joined Royal Charleroi SC’s backroom team on a short voluntary spell, offering support to the club out of friendship with majority shareholder Mehdi Bayat. The former Belgium and Manchester United midfielder will assist the staff for several weeks.

According to L'Équipe, Fellaini returned to Belgium in early December for family reasons and stepped in during the week of eight December. The 38-year-old retired in 2023 after a stint with Shandong Taishan in China and has been based in Dubai. He is taking up a staff role for the first time since ending his playing career.

He met Bayat around Union Saint-Gilloise’s Champions League tie against Marseille, a 2-3 defeat in Anderlecht, and discussed Charleroi’s situation. The team are 12th in the Jupiler Pro League, a position below the Walloon club’s expectations. Fellaini then offered his help on a voluntary basis.

Fellaini said he aims to bring experience and competitive edge and to act as a link between coaches and players. He called the role new to him and said he would start by learning, and will see in the future whether he wants to continue in this field.

Bayat hailed the chance for players to tap into Fellaini’s experience, calling it a gift from the sky. He said Fellaini is there chiefly for the squad, expressing hope the midfielder enjoys the role, helps them enjoy it too and makes them better, adding that working with someone of his stature should be beneficial.

Source: L'Équipe