Antwerp FC signed Dorian Dessoleil three seasons ago for 2.5 million euros, but his time at the club was very disappointing. He was quickly referred to the B squad and did not get any playing time this season.
An administrative error meant that he unexpectedly ended up on the Champions League player list, but this did not lead to a second chance in the first team. Dessoleil refused to play elsewhere and is sticking to his lucrative contract with Antwerp FC, despite the lack of playing time.
Antwerp at random: Potential Red Devil for 2.5 million euros
Dorian Dessoleil is one of the last remaining players from Antwerp FC’s previous transfer policy. The powerful central defender experienced his heyday at Sporting Charleroi, where he was not only captain, but also a pillar of one of the best defenses in Belgium.
During that period, Dessoleil was even mentioned as a potential candidate for the Red Devils. “Dorian would deserve to get his chance in the national team,” Felice Mazzu said at the time Sudpresse.
Dessoleil impressed with some strong seasons with the Carolos, but it soon became clear that he also had his limitations.
Although he may not have had the intrinsic qualities to make it to the Red Devils or even to aspire to the Belgian top competition, Antwerp FC still took the plunge in 2021 and brought Dessoleil to the Bosuil for a sum of no less than 2.5 million euros.
That transfer happened somewhat by chance Knackwhich described him as a panic buy, with Antwerp FC paying considerably more than Charleroi could ever have hoped for.
Dessoleil second chance? Van Bommel: “That won’t happen”
After just one season, Dorian Dessoleil was loaned to KV Kortrijk, where he was referred to the B team by Bernd Storck after a conflict.
“You should not get caught up in transfers like those of Dessoleil and Lamkel Ze, guys with a name who don’t contribute anything,” Joseph Allijn, ex-chairman of Veekaa, warned at the time. Newspaper of West Flanders.
After returning to Antwerp last summer, Mark van Bommel made it clear that he no longer counted on Dessoleil, as did Michael Frey, Birger Verstraete, Frank Boya and Pierre Dwomoh. “We want to say goodbye to them,” the Dutchman was certain.
Dessoleil trained with the B-team and sometimes decamped with the Young Reds, despite the acute shortage of defenders in the Antwerp FC first team. Young Reds coach Faris Haroun satisfied with his efforts and motivation.
“Dorian did his best and was willing to take on a leadership role. I have nothing to complain about him or Frey either.”
Despite this, Van Bommel refused to give Dessoleil a second chance in the first team. “That won’t happen,” the coach stated firmly.
Antwerp FC’s Champions League blunder: “It can always change”
In September, UEFA announced the player lists for the group stage of the Champions League, and to everyone’s surprise, Dorian Dessoleil, who had been redundant for some time and had been relegated to the B team, was still included in the selection for the Champions League.
It seemed that Antwerp wanted to build caution in the center of the defense, where the flush was thin. The next day it came to light that Dessoleil was accidentally listed instead of Sam Vines, due to an administrative error.
Remarkably, Mark van Bommel then also changed his position. Although he laconically stated a few weeks earlier that a return of Dessoleil would not happen, he now announced that the door was still ajar.
“At that moment I indeed said ‘no’ to that question. But it can always change. We don’t have many defenders.”
Dessoleil is holding on to his well-paid contract with Antwerp FC
Ultimately, Dorian Dessoleil was not given another chance at Antwerp FC and did not feature for the club this season, nor did he even appear on the first team’s team sheet.
“There has never been a dialogue with the management, nor with coach Mark van Bommel. There was only a period in January and February when I started training with the A-team again. The information never leaked and the club never communicated about it,” he said La Capitale.
Antwerp was planning to sell it, with Sint-Truiden, among others, showing interest. However, Dessoleil himself rejected the Canaries because he was not willing to compromise on the attractive salary he earned at RAFC.
“He has not obliged anyone to give him that contract, so there is no reason why he should just drop it,” said his entourage at Sudpresse. He remains committed to his contract, which runs until the end of the season.
