The 2019–20 season was Oud-Heverlee Leuven's 18th competitive season in professional football and the team's fourth consecutive season at the second level following their relegation from the Belgian Pro League in 2016. By clinching the first half of the season title in November 2019, Oud-Heverlee Leuven qualified for the promotion play-offs to play for the overall title and promotion, in which they faced Beerschot, who won the second half of the season.
After the first leg of the promotion final was played, which the club lost 1–0, the second leg at home was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Mid-May, the Belgian association of professional football clubs decided that the second leg should take place behind closed doors in the first weekend of August to determine the champion and promoting team, on 2 August 2020. Eventually however, on 31 July 2020, just two days before the actual final match, the decision was overturned and instead the 2020–21 Belgian First Division A would be expanded to 18 (from 16) teams, meaning both OH Leuven and Beerschot would be promoted. While both clubs had already clinched promotion because of this, the second leg of the promotional final was still played (behind closed doors), with Beerschot winning again and taking the overall title.
2019–20 squad
This section lists players who were in Oud-Heveree Leuven's first team squad at any point during the 2019–20 season
The symbol ℒ indicates a player who is on loan from another club
The symbol ¥ indicates a youngster who has appeared on the match sheet at least once during the season (possibly as unused substitute)
With the season at an end, several players returned from loan deals: young strikers Jo Gilis and Daan Vekemans returned from Eendracht Aalst with which they had not been able to avoid relegation from the 2018–19 Belgian First Amateur Division. The duo would join the reserve squad for 2019–20. Dutch striker Sam Hendriks returned from Cambuur where he had been on good form until a serious knee injury saw him sidelined for the remainder of 2019. Winger Leo Njengo returned from a loan to Heist, but as he was end of contract he left the club, signing some weeks later for Visé.[6] Also returning from loan deal was defender Jordy Gillekens who had been loaned to Fiorentina. Meanwhile his goalkeeping brother Nick Gillekens was released after his contract ended, which was also the case for French midfielder Julien Gorius and Senegalese striker Simon Diedhiou. On the outgoing front, with their loan deals ending both Ahmed Touba and Jellert van Landschoot returned to Club Brugge after the season, similarly both Polish international Bartosz Kapustka and Elliott Moore returned to Leicester City F.C. Under-23s and Academy. Kapustka had in fact already returned a few months earlier to recover in Leicester from an injury ending his season while Moore was sold by Leicester City to Oxford United after two seasons on loan to OH Leuven. Kamal Sowah however remained with the squad, as it became clear his loan deal had been extended with one further season. On the other hand, English striker George Hirst was signed by Leicester City on a permanent basis.[7]
During the 2019–20 winter transfer window, OH Leuven engaged in only few transfers. On the incoming side, midway through January, 21 year old Canadian Tristan Borges was brought in from Forge FC,[19] while on transfer deadline day two more players came in from Gent: Jan Van den Bergh was loaned for 6-months (without buy clause)[20] while Stallone Limbombe was signed until 2022.[21] A few days after the transfer window had closed, former OHL player Yohan Croizet was signed as a free agent player, returning to the club after an earlier spell from 2014 to 2016.[22] On the outgoing side, two players were sent out on loan: striker Sam Hendriks moved until the end of the season to Cambuur, where he had already been on loan the previous season;[23] while Kawin Thamsatchanan was loaned out until the end of 2020 to Japanese team Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo.[24]
^Keita was already on loan from Copenhagen to OH Leuven during the second half of the 2018-19 season. All parties agreed to make the transfer permanent.
^Sowah was already on loan from Leicester City to OH Leuven during the 2018-19 season. The loan was extended with another season.
^On 1 November 2019 the match between OH Leuven and Union SG was stopped during the second half at a 0–0 scoreline, when part of the floodlights in the stadium stopped working. The lights had been malfunctioning several times throughout the match and when the total time of delay exceeded 30 minutes the referee had to stop the match as per the rules of the Belgian FA. After investigations,[25] the commission of the Belgian FA ruled on 2 January 2020 that OHL was to lose the match by a forfeit score of 0–5.[26] OH Leuven appealed the decision at the Belgian court for sports arbitrage (BAS) which ruled on 31 January 2020 that the match needed to be replayed in full as the club could not be deemed accountable for the floodlight failure and the referee had insufficiently motivated his decision to stop the match.[27] The match was replayed on 11 February 2020.
^ ab"OHL strikt jong talent" [OHL signs young talent] (in Dutch). ohleuven.com. 2019-08-28. Archived from the original on 2019-08-28. Retrieved 2019-09-13.
