The 45-year-old took charge of Vitesse last year, leading it to a seventh-placed finish in the Eredivisie and a place in the UEFA Europa League via the end-of-season play-offs.

That success turned heads at Anderlecht, who is without a coach following the resignation of Ariel Jacobs.

However, Van den Brom has decided to stay with his current employers.

"It is flattering a club the size of Anderlecht have shown interest," he said in a statement on www.vitesse.nl.

"At the same time there were stories circulating that (club president) Merab Jordania was not happy with my work."

"We have talked about it and he has denied it. So for me it's sorted - I'm sticking with Vitesse. My heart lies there."

Anderlecht had already sealed the title and ended the campaign in style with a 3-0 win over Standard Liege thanks to goals from Dieudonne Mbokani (28), Matias Suarez (67) and Fernando Canesin (80).

Club Brugge, which had clinched a place in the qualifying stages of the UEFA Champions League in mid-week, also ended with a home win, beating KV Kortrijk 3-2.

Maxime Lestienne (21) and Carlos Bacca (50) gave Brugge a 2-0 lead and although Peter Czvitkovics (61) pulled a goal back, Bacca's second three minutes later restored the home side's two-goal cushion. Brecht Capon pulled a goal back for the visitor with 14 minutes remaining.

Genk had secured a Europa League place and remained third in the standings despite losing 3-1 at Gent, which claimed a Europa League play-off place.

Ilombe M'Boyo (10) and Mamatou N'Diaye (22) put Gent in command before an own goal from Elimane Coulibaly (66) gave Genk hope.

That hope only lasted three minutes however, with M'Boyo (69) grabbing his second of the game.

Genk took the lead through Jelle Vossen after 24 minutes but Brugge made sure of the win thanks to goals by Maxime Lestienne (45) and Joseph Akpala (80).

The win leaves Brugge all alone in second place, four points clear of third-spotted Genk, and also four points behind champion Anderlecht, which won the title on Sunday (Monday AEST) but suffered a hangover as it went down to a 2-0 defeat at KV Kortrijk, Ernest Webnje Nfor (11) and Mustapha Oussalah (36) with the goals.

In the day's other game, Standard Liege defeated Gent 2-1. Gent took the lead through Christian Bruls after 11 minutes, but Standard secured the points with goals by Luis Seijas (44) and Serge Gakpe (74).

Beyond Matthias Suarez and Lucas Biglia of Argentina and Brazil's Kanu, Anderlecht also relied on steady US midfielder Sacha Kljestan to dominate the league for most of the season and win the playoffs with two games to spare.

Under the league's complicated rules, the points of all clubs were halved at the end of the regular season and the top six clubs entered a playoff competition. Last year's champion Racing Genk finished third.

Anderlecht had to wait until the fourth minute of injury time, when Guillaume Gillet converted a penalty, to cancel out a 70th minute strike by Maxime Lestienne.

The visitor, which is all but out of contention for European football next season, cruised for much of the encounter, establishing a 3-0 lead before a late fightback from Gent gave the scoreline a misleading look.

Steven Monrose put Kortrijk ahead after 25 minutes and Mustapha Oussalah made it 2-0 with 20 minutes to go.

Substitute Peter Czvitkovics added a third before Zlatan Ljubijankic and Jesper Jorgensen scored late on for the host.

Gent remains in the UEFA Europa League playoff spot, a point behind third-placed Genk.

Vossen scored in the fourth and 45th minutes to give the visitor a comfortable half-time lead, but Kortrijk looked better after the break.

Pablo Chavarria pegged Genk back in the 52nd minute and it was level when Ernest Webnje Nfor found the net just after the hour mark.

But Benteke had Genk back in front in the 66th minute and it was 4-2 up thanks to his second in the 78th minute.

Substitute Dalibor Veselinovic got one back for the host shortly before the final whistle but it was too late to take anything from the game.

Genk remains one point above Anderlecht, who saw off AA Gent 1-0 thanks to a 12th minute strike from Kanu.

The leader had put pressure on its rivals by thumping Genk 4-0 on Saturday (AEST) and Brugge was unable to respond despite taking an early lead through defender Carl Hoefkens.

Elimane Coulibaly equalised before half-time and Bernd Thijs' penalty, after Hoefkens brought down Tim Smolders and was sent off, handed the points to Gent.

It closes to within a point of its opponent, which in turn is seven adrift of the summit with four games remaining.

Standard Liege beat Kortrijk 2-0 in the day's other championship playoff match, Luis Manuel Seijas and Ignacio Gonzalez scoring either side of half-time. The win nudges Standard within three points of fourth-placed Genk.

In the Europa League playoffs, Cercle Brugge was prevented from clinching top spot in Group A after it was beaten 3-2 away to Leuven, which moved within a point of its opponent at the summit courtesy of a thrilling late comeback.

The previous meeting had finished 6-4 in Cercle's favour and there was no let-up in the goalscoring action this time around, Amido Balde firing the visitor into a seemingly commanding lead with two goals in the first 20 minutes.

Victory would have secured Cercle a spot in the playoff semi-final but Leuven kept the faith and roared back with three goals in the final 11 minutes, Jordan Remacle's brace sandwiching a Bjorn Ruytinx strike.

Lierse is level with Leuven on seven points after a 1-1 draw at KV Mechelen, Daylon Claasen cancelling out the host's early opener which came from Maxim Biset.

Cercle has another chance to seal its place next week as victory over Mechelen would wrap up top spot. Any other result would usher the winner of the Lierse-Leuven clash through the door to the semi-final.

Mons was even closer to progressing as only Zulte-Waregem substitute Miguel Dachelet's last-minute winner prevented it from stamping its ticket as group winner in front of its own fans.

The 1-0 success preserved the visitor's hopes of qualifying, as it trails Mons by two points ahead of next weekend's home clash with Lokeren - which recorded its first win of the playoffs when it beat Beerschot 3-1.

Hamdi Harbaoui twice put the host ahead - Guillaume Francois levelling in between times - before Koen Persoons secured a result which ends Beerschot's hopes of progressing.

Kanu scored twice as the side moved seven points clear of Club Brugge, who face Gent tomorrow.

Defensive uncertainty allowed Kanu to open the scoring in the eighth minute and Guillaume Gillet fired home the second in the 31st minute.

Milan Jovanovic superbly set up Kanu for his second in the 52nd minute before Tom De Sutter rounded off the scoring late on.

Dieudonne Mbokani scored the only goal of the game in the 16th minute as the second-placed host missed the chance to move into pole position with five games left.

Genk went third, seven points off top spot, with a 3-2 win at home to Standard Liege.

Genk fought back from 2-0 down to win as first-half goals from Mohamed Tchite and Yoni Buyens with a penalty put Standard in control.

A Sebastien Pocognoli own goal five minutes after the restart halved the deficit and Jelle Vossen equalised six minutes later.

Things continued to go wrong for Standard as it had substitute Michy Batshuayi sent off in the 64th minute and Christian Benteke won it for Genk in the 74th minute.

Ilombe M'Boyo scored a first-half brace and Christian Bruls struck either side of half-time after Nebosja Pavlovic had given the host an early lead.

The win moved Gent four points behind Club Brugge and five behind leader Anderlecht, both of whom have a game in hand and six left to play.

In UEFA Europa League play-off Group A, leader Cercle Brugge retained its two-point advantage over Lierse after the two sides drew 2-2.

Daylon Claasen put Lierse in front in the fifth minute, but Lukas van Eenoo levelled two minutes later.

Milos Maric restored the host's lead before the half-hour mark, but Van Eenoon equalised again just after it.

Leuven won 4-2 at home to Mechelen.

Thomas Azevedo and Pieter Nys put the host two up at the break and Oleksandr Yakovenko added a third soon after the break.

Julien Gorius pulled one back for Mechelen 15 minutes from time, but Jordan Remacle's 83rd-minute penalty ended any hopes of a comeback.

Gorius got his second of the game in the last minute.

In Group B, Mons retained its four-point advantage over Beerschot at the top after both won.

Mons won 2-1 at Lokeren, Mustapha Jarju and Jeremy Perbet netting either side of an equaliser from Baye Djiby Fall.

Second-half goals from Roy Dayan and Hernan Losada with his second of the game helped earn Beerschot a 3-1 win at home to Zulte-Waregem.

Losada put the host in front early on only for Jens Naessens to level before half-time.

Carlos Bacca, a first-half substitute, scored two minutes before the break to earn it a 1-0 win.

As a result, it sits on 38 points, one behind leader Genk.

The other game saw KV Kortrijk draw 1-1 at home to Standard Liege.

Both goals came inside 60 first-half seconds, with Ernest Webnje Nfor giving Kortrijk the lead in the 10th minute only for Mohamed Tchite to level almost immediately.

The host leads the table by four points and could have moved seven clear with victory, with second-placed Club Brugge having three games to play including Sunday evening's (Monday morning AEST) visit of Gent.

But it trailed 2-0 at half-time to goals from Christian Benteke and Anthony Vanden Borre and, though Dieumerci Mbokani cut the deficit, there was no way back.

Jelle Vossen's goal clinched victory before Anderlecht's Milan Jovanovic missed a penalty in the closing stages.

Mechelen recorded its first win in UEFA Europa League Play-off group A with a 2-1 success against Leuven.

Wannes van Tricht and Jaime Ruiz put the host 2-0 up in the first half-hour and Oleksandr Yakovenko's 52nd-minute penalty was the only response Leuven could muster.

Mons remains top of Group B despite being held to a 1-1 home draw by nine-man Lokeren.

Sawaneh Ibou put Mons ahead in the 31st minute but Benjamin de Ceulaer equalised and, though both Jeremy Taravel and Nill de Pauw collected second yellow cards, the host could not find a winner.

Zulte Waregem beat Beerschot 2-0 to move above its opponent in the standings, Jeremy Serwy and M'Baye Leye scoring either side of half-time.

The result maintained Cercle's two-point lead over Lierse in Playoffs II Group A, with the winner of the group taking on the top side from Group B - currently Mons - in a playoff for a place in next season's Europa League.

Lierse had Karim Saidi sent off eight minutes from time.

Ryan Donk's 90th-minute equaliser rescued a point for Brugge, which now looks best placed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League preliminary rounds and is four behind play-off group leader Anderlecht.

Liege, which is fifth in the six-team group, took the lead in the 67th minute through Mohamed Tchite's penalty.

Jelle Vossen opened the scoring on 55 minutes before an own goal from Baptiste Martin (82) sealed the win.

Genk now has six points from three games to stand a point above Anderlecht, which claimed a 4-1 win at Gent.

Goals from Patou Kabangu (29), Matias Suarez (35) and Kanu (61) put the visitor on course for an easy victory, and although Ilombe M'Boyo pulled one back from the penalty spot on 73 minutes, Dieudonne Mbokani had the last word in the final minute.

Ernest Webnje Nfor put the host in front in the fifth minute and a brace from Pablo Chavarria, either side of a 78th-minute goal for Brugge from Victor Vazquez, completed the win.

The defeat left the visitor two points behind leader Anderlecht in the six-team mini-league, with Kortrijk fourth.

Jeroen Simaeys (15) and Christian Benteke (59) scored to hand Genk its first win since the top six broke off into the championship play-offs.

Genk is fifth in that table, with this win moving it a point behind Standard Liege in the UEFA Europa League qualification places.

Gent, which had Bernd Thijs sent off on 83 minutes, remained third and three points adrift of the UEFA Champions League places.

Cercle Brugge made it two wins from two in Europa League play-off group A with a stunning 6-4 home triumph against Leuven which featured nine different goalscorers.

Angola midfielder Rudy and young forward Igor Vetokele put the host in front but Leuven's Rurik Gislason immediately pulled one back. William Carvalho restored Cercle's two-goal lead but it was 3-3 at half-time after Jordan Remacle and Thomas Azevedo struck back.

Anthony Portier and Oleg Iachtchouk put the home side 5-3 up and, after substitute Oleksandr Yakovenko made it 5-4, Rudy finished what he had started with a 78th-minute strike.

In group B, Mons beat Zulte Waregem 2-0 with two goals in the final eight minutes.

Zulte had M'Baye Leye sent off before half-time but it took until the 83rd minute for Benjamin Nicaise to break the deadlock. Jeremy Perbet added a last-minute clincher to earn the visitor its second consecutive 2-0 success.

In the relegation play-off, Sint-Truidense beat Westerlo 3-1 to bounce back from its opening 3-2 defeat in the five-game series.

Sasha Kotysch opened the scoring and Gregory Dufer scored twice while Bart Goor netted a late penalty for Westerlo, which leads the series by virtue of its three-point head-start after finishing second-bottom in the regular season.

But the match finished on a sour note for Sint-Truidense as Koen Daerden and Vincent Euvrard both collected needless second bookings in the last three minutes, the latter for time-wasting at a free-kick.

The league leader after the regular season, Anderlecht failed to beat sixth-placed Kortrijk in its opening playoff game and was desperate to respond.

But it could not find a way past Standard keeper Sinan Bolat and was forced to settle for another point, meaning Club Brugge can overhaul them at the league summit if it beats Kortrijk on Monday (AEST).

Steven Monrose gave the visitor a first-half lead, beating Sacha Kljestan and finishing past Silvio Proto in the 17th minute.

But slack defending left Dieumerci Mbokani one-on-one with goalkeeper Kristof van Hout to equalise shortly after the hour mark.

Having finished in the top six, it squared up to Standard with the lure of UEFA Champions League qualification on offer at the end of the process, and got off to the best possible start with a convincing win.

Elimane Coulibaly got it going early on, with Zlatan Ljubijankic and Ilombe M'Boyo wrapping things up.

Cercle Brugge was also a 3-0 winner.

Grouped in with the sides who finished between seventh and 14th and are chasing a UEFA Europa League spot, it saw off KV Mechelen thanks to a goal from Oleg Iachtchouk and Lukas Van Eenoo's brace.

In the same mini-group, Mohamed El Gabbas gave Lierse the lead at OH Leuven from the spot, only for Derick Ogbu to level with five minutes left to earn a 1-1 draw.

In the other group of four, Mons was victorious, beating Beerschot 2-0 thanks to first-half goals from Jeremy Perbet (penalty) and Ebrahim Savaneh.

Elsewhere, Brian Hamalainen put Zulte-Waregem ahead at Lokeren, with Hamdi Harbaoui equalising three minutes from time.

It had fallen behind to a Reza Ghoochannejhad penalty but, when Lucas Biglia levelled, it appeared that normal service had been resumed.

Vincent Euvrard restored the home side's lead, though, meaning Anderlecht had to rely on Patou Kabangu to earn it a late point.

Its failure to win allowed Club Brugge to reduce the gap between first and second to six points as it won 2-1 at Cercle Brugge.

Lukas Van Eenoo put Cercle ahead, but a brace from Joseph Akpala turned things around.

Third-placed AA Gent had a slightly easier time of things, seeing off KV Kortrijk 3-1.

Tim Smolders put it ahead and, when Elimane Coulibaly made it 2-0, the result was in little doubt. Dalibor Veselinovic did pull one back but Zlatan Ljubijankic made things safe.

Standard Liege enjoyed a comfortable 4-0 win over OH Leuven. Mohamed Tchite, Jelle Van Damme (two) and Martins Felipe were all on target.

Genk missed the chance to all but secure the final top-six place, losing 3-2 at relegation-haunted Westerlo.

A win would have put it three points clear of Kortrijk with a game to play, but a stunning opening 15 minutes from Westerlo snuffed out those hopes.

Steven De Petter, Reynaldo and Bart Goor all scored inside that time and, by the time Genk woke up, Elyaniv Barda and Fabien Camus' goals were not enough.

Lokeren will also have hopes of taking the final top-six spot sitting two points behind, but could have been further in the mix had it beaten Beerschot and not drawn 2-2.

It had to be thankful for a point, though, having initially fallen two goals down to Sherjill MacDonald and Roni Porokara, with Baye Djiby and Benjamin De Ceulaer turning things around.

Elsewhere, Zulte-Waregem beat KC Mechelen 2-0 and Lierse drew 1-1 with Mons. Jens Naessens and Brian Hamalainen scored for Zulte, while Jason Adesanya and Jeremy Perbet traded goals in the other contest.

Anderlecht sprung to life in the second half when it scored all its goals in a 4-0 home win over fourth-placed Cercle Brugge.

Dieudonne Mbokani struck twice in two minutes (66 pen, 67) in between goals from Guillaume Gillet (56) and substitute Patou Kabangu (73).

Lior Rafaelov scored the winner on 13 minutes as second-placed Club Brugge held off Standard Liege 1-0.

Christian Benteke netted twice for and Jelle Vossen completed the scoring as sixth-placed Genk inflicted a seventh defeat of the season on Brugge.

The loss saw it slip eight points behind Anderlecht with just three games remaining of the regular season.

Also in the Belgian top flight, fifth-spotted Standard Liege and bottom-of-the-table St Truidense battled out a goalless draw.

Second-half goals from Remi Mareval (61) and Jesper Jorgensen (90) earned Gent its 15th win of the season, although it could find itself five behind Brugge again if it wins at Genk on Sunday evening (Monday morning AEDT).

Cercle Brugge moved above Standard Liege into fourth as Anthony Portier's 19th-minute goal earned it its fourth straight victory at home to Zulte-Waregem.

Seventh-placed Kortrijk saw its winless run extend to five matches with a 5-2 thumping at home to Lokeren. Ayanda Patosi (17) put the visitor ahead but Steven Monrose equalised eight minutes later. Hamdi Harbaoui restored Lokeren's lead (28) but its hopes of a win appeared to have been dented by Giorgos Galitsios' 43rd-minute dismissal.

Alassane Tambe's 65th-minute own goal took it further clear, Dalibor Veselinovic cut the deficit to 3-2 before Harbaoui's second (84) and Ibrahima Gueye's 90th-minute effort gave the scoreline a convincing look for Lokeren, which is two places behind Kortrijk with five wins from its last seven.

Mechelen is above Lokeren on goal difference after winning 3-1 at Westerlo, for whom it was a fifth straight league defeat.

Boubacar Dialiba (20) put Mechelen in front and Alessandro Cordaro doubled the tally 12 minutes later. Westerlo pulled one back through veteran midfielder Bart Goor on the stroke of half-time but goalkeeper Glenn Verbauwhede's 88th-minute dismissal was compounded by Julien Gorius scoring a 90th-minute penalty.

Beerschot was a 2-1 winner at home to OH Leuven. Sherjill MacDonald (26) put it in front and Roy Dayan's 54th-minute goal proved decisive as Radek Dejmek's goal with seven minutes to go raised Leuven's hopes.

Anderlecht came alive in the second half to beat Westerlo 3-1 at home, while Club Brugge saw off KV Kortrijk 2-1.

Leader Anderlecht was sluggish in the first half, but Dieudonne Mbokani put it ahead in the 55th minute before further strikes from Roland Juhasz and Milan Jovanovic, with Felix Luz getting one back for the visitor.

Two goals in the space of nine minutes midway through the first half gave Club Brugge the lead as Ryan Donk and Joseph Akpala found the net, but it was forced to hang on after Steven Monrose's goal for KV Kortrijk four minutes into the second half.

Standard Liege missed the chance to move level on points with third-placed Gent as it went down 4-2 to Zulte-Waregem.

Standard led through Michy Batshuayi's 25th-minute strike, but Davy De Fauw and Habib Habibou turned it around before half-time, and further strikes from M'Baye Leye and Habibou again gave it a commanding lead that Yoni Buyen's 70th-minute goal for the visitor did little to redress.

Mohamed Tchite fired the host into an eighth-minute lead from the penalty spot but Roland Juhasz equalised for Anderlecht after 75 minutes and Dieudonne Mbokani popped up with an 88th-minute winner.

Second-placed Club Brugge pulled three points clear of Gent in third after an impressive 3-1 win at its fellow title rival.

Goals by Jordi (15), Lior Rafaelov (49) and Joseph Akpala (59) secured the points for the visitor, with Jesper Jorgensen replying for Gent in the 87th minute.

Benjamin De Ceulaer scored the only goal on 11 minutes to inflict a third defeat in Genk's past four league games.

That leaves the champion 16 points adrift of leader Anderlecht but more importantly outside the champion play-off places.

Cercle Brugge replaced it in the top six with a 1-0 win against KV Mechelen. Substitute Amido Balde scored the winning goal on 71 minutes.

KV Kortrijk spurned a two-goal lead but stayed fifth with a 2-2 draw against 10-man Mons.

The host looked in complete control as Ernest Webnje Nfor (3) and Ervin Zukanovic (42) scored in a first half that also saw Mons' Benjamin Nicaise sent off on 30 minutes.

But the visitor battled back impressively thanks to Tim Matthys (57) and a 64th-minute Baptiste Martin own goal.

Bottom club St Truidense suffered a fifth consecutive defeat as it went down 3-2 at Beerschot.

The struggler had led when Giuseppe Rossini netted on 30 minutes but the game turned against it shortly after half-time when Beerschot scored three times in 17 minutes.

Roy Dayan (50, 62) struck either side of a Tomislav Mikulic (55) effort and when Koen Daerden saw red on 67 minutes the visitor's hopes were extinguished.

Beerschot did pull a goal back through Gregory Christ on 79 minutes but a leveller proved beyond it.

Despite the defeat it remained four points adrift of second-bottom Westerlo, which lost 3-1 at home to Leuven.

Silva Reynaldo (44) had cancelled out the opener from Silva Reynaldo (34) but Leuven won with second-half goals from Wim Raymaekers (61) and Jordan Remacle (76).

Milos Maric scored twice to inspire Lierse to a 2-1 win over Zulte-Waregem. Maric won it with an 88th-minute penalty after Davy De Fauw (71) cancelled out his 62nd-minute opener.

Genk took the lead after eight minutes through Christian Benteke, but the home side was level seconds later through Matias Suarez.

Sacha Kljestan (36) and Dieudonne Mbokani (61) fired Anderlecht 3-1 ahead and, after substitute Elyaniv Barda (64) had pulled a goal back, Mbokani's second of the game sealed the win 10 minutes from time.

There were also six goals in the game between Club Brugge and Beerschot, with Brugge running out a 5-1 winner.

Joseph Akpala, Mushaga Bakenga and Maxime Lestienne put the home side 3-0 ahead after just 28 minutes.

Vusimuzi Nyoni pulled a goal back 10 minutes before the interval, but Akpala (41) and Lestienne (61) both found the net again to complete the win and draw Brugge level on points with second-placed Gent.

It was a routine win for Christoph Daum's side, with Lior Rafaelov giving it the lead on the stroke of half-time and Joseph Akpala scoring in the second half.

It is now seven points shy of leader Anderlecht and two clear of fourth-placed Standard Liege, which won 1-0 at Cercle Brugge.

Michy Batshuayi scored the only goal of the game with 49 minutes gone.

Ilombe M'Boyo scored twice for Gent, with Remi Mareval, Juan Andreu Melli, Soumahoro Yaya and Jesper Jorgensen also on target in the emphatic win.

That result, coupled with Anderlecht's stalemate, meant the leader's advantage was trimmed to seven points with seven games remaining.

Elsewhere, an early brace from Chelsea target Kevin De Bruyne helped sixth-spotted Genk thrash struggling Leuven 5-0.

Jelle Vossen and Thomas Buffel were also on the scoresheet in the first half, with substitute Christian Benteke completing the rout 13 minutes from time.

Benjamin De Ceulaer, Nill De Pauw and Hamdi Harbaoui grabbed the goals in Lokeren's 3-2 home win over KV Mechelen, the visitor replying through Jaime Ruiz and a last-gasp Ibrahima Gueye own goal.

Finally, first-half goals from Boban Grncarov and Wesley Sonck earned Lierse a 2-0 triumph at second-bottom Westerlo, and KV Kortrijk and Zulte-Waregem battled out a goalless draw.

The host took control of the match with two goals in three first-half minutes from Gohi Cyriac and Michy Batshuayi, and that proved enough for victory despite Mons halving the deficit through Jeremy Perbet with 10 minutes left.

Standard is now two points behind the two sides immediately above it, Gent and Club Brugge, but still 11 adrift of leader Anderlecht. Mons is down in 10th place on 28 points.

Having seen Gent lose to leader Anderlecht the previous night, Brugge made no mistake in attempting to cash in as it cruised to the win, with Lior Rafaelov, Victor Vazquez and Joseph Akpala all netting.

KV Kortrijk is in fourth place after its 2-0 win at OH Leuven, with Dalibor Veselinovic and Steven Monrose getting the goals.

Bottom side St Truidense lost for a 13th time this season as it was beaten 3-0 at home by Westerlo. Jeroen Vanthournout opened the scoring, Bart Goor added a penalty and Lens Annab added a third.

Zulte-Waregem beat Beerschot AC 1-0 thanks to Teddy Chevalier's goal on the hour, while Lierse and Cercle Brugge played out an entertaining 2-2 draw.

Wesley Sonck put Lierse ahead before Boban Grncarov's own goal levelled things out.

Amido Balde gave Brugge the lead with two minutes left, but the scoring was not finished as Soufiane Bidaoui earned Lierse a last-minute point.

The day's other game saw KV Mechelen come from behind to beat Genk 3-2.

The visitor scored first through Thomas Buffel, only for KV to level through a Julien Gorus penalty. Jamie Ruiz then put it ahead, before Christian Benteke made it 2-2 with 25 minutes left.

The home side won the day, though, thanks to Boris Pandza's 89th-minute winner.

Jesper Jorgensen had put the second-placed visitor in front after just seven minutes, but Milan Jovanovic levelled for the league leader in the 28th minute and added a second eight minutes later.

Matias Suarez then made sure of the points with an 85th-minute strike, stretching Anderlecht's advantage to nine points at the top of the standings.

Second-placed Gent was held goalless at home by Zulte-Waregem while third-placed Club Brugge was beaten 1-0 in front of its own fans by Mechelen, for whom Alessandro Cordaro scored the winning goal after seven minutes.

In the night's other matches, Beerschot thrashed Cercle Brugge 4-0 with goals from Hernan Losada (two), Sherjill MacDonald and Vusimuzi Nyoni, while a second-half brace from Benjamin De Ceulaer earned Lokeren a 2-0 win over Lierse.

Also, Leuven fought back from a 2-0 half-time deficit to draw 2-2 at Mons. The home side took control with goals from Ebrahim Savaneh and Jeremy Perbet but Jordan Remacle pulled a goal back on the hour before he netted an 87th-minute equaliser from the penalty spot after Nicolas Timmermans had been sent off.

The host had gone behind to Pierre-Yves Ngawa's 29th-minute strike.

But Elyaniv Barda's penalty levelled the scores in the 53rd minute - after Sascha Kotysch was sent off for the visitor - and two minutes later, substitute Christian Benteke hit the winner.

Two goals in the opening 24 minutes from Dieudonne Mbokani and Milan Jovanovic set Anderlecht on its way and Matias Suarez added a third midway through the second half to seal a 13th win of the campaign for the pacesetter.

In the day's other match, draw specialist Zulte-Waregem played out a 1-1 tie with Genk.

Zulte-Waregem had looked set to claim only a third win of the campaign after taking a 67th-minute lead through Jens Naessens but it was denied by a 90th-minute equaliser from Jeroen Simaeys as it chalked up a 10th draw in 20 games.

Guillaume Gillet fired Anderlecht ahead from the penalty spot after 25 minutes but Mons equalised five minutes from the end through substitute Chris Makiese.

It meant Anderlecht was only able to move a point clear of second-placed AA Gent, which had briefly gone top when it beat Westerlo 3-1 24 hours earlier.

The visiting side took the lead on the stroke of half-time through Dieter De Kelver and held on to it until 21 minutes from the end when Zlatan Ljubijankic levelled.

Yassine El Ghanassy put Gent ahead 10 minutes later before Jesper Jorgensen made the points safe.

Anderlecht plays its game in hand at Mons on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT).

Club Brugge remained in the hunt - two points behind the top two - after Bjorn Vleminckx's goal saw it beat Zulte-Waregem 1-0.

Kortrijk leapfrogged Standard Liege into fourth after beating its rival 2-0 with goals from Gertjan De Mets and Steven Monrose.

The visiting side also had Karim Belhocine sent-off late on to cap a miserable evening.

Rock-bottom St.Truidense battled to a goalless draw at Lokeren, as did struggling Lierse at Beerschot.

Leuven twice squandered the lead to draw 2-2 at Mechelen.

Jordan Remacle and Derick Ogbu scored for the visiting side with David Destorme grabbing a brace for the home side, the second coming after Leuven had had Lionel Gendarme sent-off.

Elsewhere, Genk beat Cercle Brugge 4-2.

Igor Vetokele and Bernt Evens twice put Cercle ahead either side of a Elyaniv Barda equaliser but from there it was all Genk.

Christian Benteke made it 2-2, Jelle Vossen edged the host ahead and Fabien Camus netted a last-minute fourth.

With Hannes Vanderbruggen's goal giving Gent a 1-0 win at Cercle Brugge, Anderlecht needed a win to maintain its three-point cushion and it duly got it against Lokeren, although not as it would have liked.

It twice took the lead through Guillaume Gillet, being pegged back by goals from Benjamin De Ceulaer and Benjamin Mokulu.

But, just when it looked as though it was heading for a draw, substitute Dieudonne Mbokani won it for the home side with six minutes remaining.

Standard Liege was held to a 0-0 draw by Genk which did its title chances no good, while another hopeful, Club Brugge, was beaten 3-1 at OH Leuven which moved away from trouble with the win.

Brugge had Vadis Odjija Ofoe sent off a minute into the second half and, with no score at that point, it proved crucial.

Bjorn Ruytinx put OH on its way, before a Frederik Boi double wrapped things up after Joseph Akpala had equalised.

Frans put Lierse in front after 51 minutes and Claasen made the points safe in the 87th minute, denying Kortrijk the chance to move three points behind leader Anderlecht.

Westerlo climbed off the foot of the table with a 3-1 win at home against Beerschot.

Lens Annab put Westerlo ahead in the 21st minute, and a second goal 15 minutes later from Prados Juande strengthened its position. Guillaume Francois cut the lead in the 53rd minute, but the two-goal margin was restored nine minutes later by Dieter De Kelver.

Westerlo had been level on points at the start of the day with St Truidense, which managed a goalless draw at home against KV Mechelen.

Mid-table Mons won 3-2 at lowly Zulte-Waregem in an eventful match.

Zulte-Waregem went ahead after 14 minutes when Teddy Chevalier scored, but a red card just before the half-hour mark for defender Miguel Dachelet changed the game.

Jeremy Sapina levelled in the 36th minute and, although Zulte-Waregem regained the lead thanks to Olafur Ingi Skulason in the 50th minute, the 10 men were overpowered by Mons' full complement. Jeremy Perbet levelled nine minutes later and Mael Lepicier grabbed a winner with 10 minutes remaining.

Bjorn Vleminckx scored the only goal of the game for Christoph Daum's side, moving it on to 34 points in second place.

St Truidense remains in big trouble at the foot of the table, with only goal difference keeping it out of last place.

David Destorme gave the home side a 17th-minute lead, but Matias Suarez levelled on the hour.

Mechelen would not be denied, though, with Alessandro Cordaro netting the winner with 18 minutes left.

The home side had Roland Juhasz sent off 12 minutes from time, but Leuven was unable to take advantage.

The result leaves Anderlecht ahead of Gent, which also played out a 0-0 stalemate at Standard Liege.

Standard's Brazilian defender Antonio Kanu saw red in the final minute of the contest.

Substitute Joseph Akpala's late goal earned Club a 1-0 away win to move it within a point of second-placed Gent, who play on Monday morning (AEDT) along with leaders Anderlecht and fourth-placed Standard Liege.

KV Kortrijk won 2-1 away to Cercle Brugge to move level on points with its opponent and one behind Standard. Dalibor Veselinovic and Nebosja Pavlovic scored either side of half-time and Igor Vetokele's late goal for the hosts made no difference to the outcome.

Mons enjoyed a 3-2 win at St Truidense on a day when no home team won in the division.

Mons led 2-0 at half-time, Jeremy Perbet opening the scoring before Peter Delorge put the ball past his own keeper.

Substitute Yannick Rymenants and Alessandro Iandoli struck in a three-minute period to level the match, but Perbet grabbed his second 15 minutes from time to settle matters in the visitors' favour.

Flavio Amado's last-minute goal capped a Lierse comeback to stave off another home defeat after Mechelen had led 2-0.

Julien Gorius' penalty and Alessandro Cordaro's goal put the visitors in control but Mohamed El Gabbas cut the deficit from the spot and Amado, who had been on the pitch less than 10 minutes, earned his side a point.

Zulte-Waregem was pegged back by Lokeren after leading through Jeremy Serwy. Benjamin de Ceulaer scored two minutes after half-time to earn a 1-1 draw for the visitor, who had Katuku Tshimanga sent off late on.

The host, which was known as Germinal Beerschot until this season, dominated the first half and MacDonald struck in the 21st and 45th minutes to put it in command.

Defending champion Genk had no reply and remains seventh in the league, 12 points adrift of leader Anderlecht and now just two ahead of Beerschot.

Hannes Vanderbruggen opened the scoring after 70 minutes and substitute Yassine El Ghanassy doubled the host's advantage late on.

Jeremy Serwy (55) and Teddy Chevalier (66) looked to have given the home side all three points, only for Anderlecht to score three times in the last six minutes.

Marcin Wasilewski (84) pulled a goal back and substitute Tom de Sutter struck in the 86th and 88th minutes to snatch a dramatic win.

Zulte-Waregem's misery was complete when Mikhail Sivakov was sent off in the last minute.

Club Brugge is third in the table after a 1-0 win at Lierse, Bjorn Vleminckx grabbing the only goal after 73 minutes.

KV Kortrijk was also a 1-0 winner on the road, Mustapha Oussalah's goal after 22 minutes enough to give it all three points at Beerschot.

Cercle Brugge was held to a 1-1 draw at home to Lokeren after Lukas Van Eenoo's 68th-minute opener was cancelled out a minute later by Kilian Overmeire.

Westerlo remains bottom of the table despite a 2-1 win over Mons, which took the lead through Jeremy Perbet (33).

William Owusu equalised early in the second half and Ellenton Liliu snatched the winner in the last minute.

That would have been enough to get off the foot of the table if not for St Truidense also winning 2-1 against Leuven.

Gregory Dufer's seventh-minute opener and a penalty from Reza Ghoochannejhad (65) proved enough for the win, with Karel Geraerts (76) pulling one back for Leuven.

Mohamed Tchite opened the scoring after 13 minutes and Gohi Cyriac made it 2-0 after 62 minutes before Seth De Witte pulled a goal back just two minutes later.

Luis Seijas restored the home side's two-goal cushion on 74 minutes and although Miguel Oliveira pulled another back soon after, the visitor was unable to grab a late equaliser.

Marcin Wasilewski put it ahead after 16 minutes, with Matias Suarez adding a brace to wrap things up.

Gregory Duffer netted a late consolation for the visitor.

In the day's other game, Nabil Dirar's goal earned Club Brugge a 1-0 win over city rival Cercle.

All four goals came in the first half with Mohamed Tchite scoring in the 13th and 27th minutes to put Standard in control.

Leuven halved the deficit through a Jelle Van Damme own goal in the 33rd minute, but the visitor restored its advantage with what proved to be the final goal of the game through Mujangi Bia on the stroke of half-time.

The 58-year-old German replaces Dutchman Adrie Koster and has agreed a contract that ties him to the Belgian club until 2013, with the option of an extra season after that.

The vastly-experienced Daum has won league titles with Stuttgart, Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Austria Vienna while he also counts Bayer Leverkusen, Cologne, Austria Vienna and Eintracht Frankfurt among his former clubs.

Club Brugge, which sacked Koster at the end of last month, is fifth in the Belgian league on 22 points, seven adrift of leader Anderlecht, and is top of UEFA Europa League Group H, although level on seven points with Birmingham City and Braga.

The 20-year-old striker was accused of theft with violence after an incident on Saturday.

Benteke was arrested with two other individuals on suspicion of beating up a man before making off in his car.

The victim had to be treated in hospital for injuries suffered in the attack.

After his court appearance in handcuffs in Liege, Benteke was released from custody.

On Tuesday the player denied 'formally these allegations' in a statement released by his club, claiming he had been interviewed by police purely as a 'witness'.

Benteke has three international caps to his name and began his career with Standard Liege before joining reigning Belgian champion Genk.

His name does not figure in Belgium's squad for the coming friendlies against Romania and France.

Anderlecht had Milan Jovanovic sent off after 36 minutes but battled bravely until the final minute when Rudy Wilson Da Rocha grabbed a dramatic winner.

Club Brugge remains fourth despite losing 2-1 at Standard Liege, for whom Mohamed Tchite scored twice.

Nabil Dirar netted a late consolation for the visitor.

Mario Been's side had led when Jelle Vossen, who scored the equaliser in the midweek 1-1 UEFA Champions League draw with Chelsea, netted the opener on 47 minutes.

Kortrijk snatched the lead away through Ernest Webnje Nfor (57) and Mustapha Oussalah (67) before substitute Limbombe grabbed a point for Genk on 89 minutes.

Daylon Claasen scored twice as Lierse won for just the second time 3-1 against Leuven.

Claasen struck twice in the first half and a third goal from Boban Grncarov (52) ensured Derick Ogbu's 54th-minute reply was consolation.

Lokeren thumped bottom club Westerlo 4-2. Nill De Pauw started the ball rolling after three minutes before further strikes from Koen Persoons (38), Derrick Tshimanga (49) and Hamdi Harbaoui (62) put the visitor out of sight.

Westerlo gave the scoreline a more respectable look thanks to Stef Wils (70) and Shlomi Arbeitman (80).

Beerschot was a 2-0 winner against 10-man Mons with Vusimuzi Nyoni (22) and Hernan Losada (73) on target. Mael Lepicier was sent off for Mons on 71 minutes.

Zulte-Waregem played out a home goalless draw with fellow struggler St Truidense.

Four goals in the final 16 minutes sealed victory for the Jupiler League's top-scorers after Mechelen had made an unlikely comeback.

Gent had led 2-0 after a 19th-minute own goal from Maxim Biset and an Elimane Coulibaly strike on 56 minutes.

But Mechelen hit back with two goals in the next three minutes with Boubacar Dialiba and Julien Gorius on target.

Gent recovered its lead on 74 minutes though, thanks to Tim Smolders, and after Jesper Jorgensen added a fourth soon, Ilombe M'Boyo completed an entertaining night with a late double.

Former Wolfsburg, FC Twente and Middlesbrough boss McClaren resigned last month as Nottingham Forest manager after just 10 games in charge of the struggling English Championship side.

Brugge's general manager Vincent Mannaert confirmed McClaren was on the list after the former England boss attended the side's 2-2 draw at Birmingham in the Europa League on Thursday night.

According to La Derniere Heure and SporzaHe website, both McClaren and former Lyon boss Puel have met with club management with a view to taking over from Dutchman Adrie Koster who was sacked by Brugge last weekend.

"No coach is always successful. To appreciate his value we have to take his entire career into consideration," said Mannaert regarding 50-year-old McClaren.

Brugge is fourth in the Belgium top-flight, four points behind leader Anderlecht after 12 matches. The team recruited twelve new players during the northern summer.

Brugge, Birmingham and Braga are all on seven points with two games remaining in Group H of the Europa League.

Puel, 50, was sacked by Lyon last June after three years without a trophy. He previously coached French clubs Lille and Monaco.

Goals from Milan Jovanovic, Guillaume Gillet and Sacha Kljestan all but ended the contest before half-time, with Gillet's second coming from the penalty spot after 76 minutes after a foul by Frederic Frans which earned him a red card.

Bottom club St Truidense drew 1-1 with Standard Liege.

Reza Ghoochannejhad put the home side ahead after 50 minutes but Mohamed Tchite levelled for Standard 19 minutes later.

Gent and Cercle Brugge lie three points off top spot having been held to 1-1 draws in their respective matches.

Mons went ahead in its meeting with Gent thanks to a 70th-minute goal from Jeremy Perbet, but Berndt Thijs levelled from the penalty spot nine minutes later.

Cercle Brugge opened the scoring through Oleg Iachtchouk (42) against Zulte-Waregem, but was pegged back by Jonathan Delaplace three minutes into the second half.

Club Brugge is four points behind the leader after letting a 4-2 lead slip to be edged out 5-4 at home by Genk in a thrilling contest.

Having twice fallen behind to goals from Kevin De Bruyne (three) and Khaleem Hyland (45), Brugge equalised through Ryan Donk (20) and Victor Vazquez (47).

The host then went ahead with strikes from Thomas Meunier (62) and Nabil Dirar (67), but Genk rallied and Jelle Vossen (72) reduced arrears before De Bruyne completed a hat-trick (78 and 86) to seal a dramatic comeback.

KV Kortrijk closed in on the top four with a 4-1 rout of Lokeren, thanks to goals from Steven Monrose, Ervin Zukanovic, Pablo Chavarria and Ernest Webnje Nfor.

Katuku Tshimanga grabbed a consolation for Lokeren, who also had Benjamin De Ceulaer sent off.

A late goal from Karel Geraerts snatched a 3-2 win for Leuven against Germinal Beerschot.

Derick Ogbu and Bjorn Ruytinx were also on target for Leuven, with Roni Porokara and Gary Kagelmacher replying for the visitors.

Boubacar Dialiba's 74th-minute strike earned KV Mechelen and 1-0 win over Westerlo.

The visitor trailed for much of the match to a 33rd-minute goal from Steven De Petter, but Roland Juhasz equalised eight minutes from time before a last-minute winner from Guillaume Gillet snatched the points.

The win takes Anderlecht four points clear of a group of three teams which includes Club Brugge, which was beaten 2-1 at KV Kortrijk.

A 79th-minute own goal from goalkeeper Kristof Van Hout gave Brugge a fortunate lead, but goals in the last seven minutes from substitutes Pablo Chavarria and Peter Czvitkovics turned the result on its head.

Gohi Cyriac's goal 10 minutes before the break earned Standard Liege a 1-0 win at home to Zulte-Waregem which moved it up to fifth.

With the leader, as well as third-placed Club Brugge, not in action, Gent used their chance to bank a seventh win of the season and stay in touch at the top.

Jesper Jorgensen scored the opener after five minutes before Thijs scored either side of Hamdi Harbaoui's 62nd-minute strike for Lokeren.

Genk responded to its UEFA Champions League hammering by Chelsea by defeating Mons 2-0.

Although goalless until the 71st minute, Thomas Buffel netted twice in nine minutes to win it.

Cercle Brugge moved level with Club Brugge and Gent on 22 points following a 2-0 success over OH Leuven.

Kevin Janssens (41) and Lukas Van Eenoo (67) were the scorers.

Bottom club St Truidense secured its first win of the season, a 2-0 away win at Lierse, who had Mohamed El Gabbas sent off in the 63rd minute.

Koen Daerden broke the deadlock after three minutes before Reza Ghoochannejhad's 81st-minute penalty sealed the win.

The remaining fixture saw Germinal Beerschot draw 2-2 at home to KV Mechelen.

Both of Germinal's efforts were own goals - with Xavier Chen and Kenny Vanhoevelen putting the ball past their own keeper.

Mechelen's goals came from Julien Gorius' 36th-minute penalty and Boubacar Dialiba's strike.

De Bruyne has long been linked with the London club and revealed during the transfer window that the two clubs were in talks over his signature.

The 20-year-old ended up staying in Belgium, unlike team-mate Thibaut Courtois, who did move to Chelsea before being loaned out to Atletico Madrid.

De Bruyne will have a chance to impress Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas at close quarters during tomorrow night's Champions League Group E game at Stamford Bridge and the return match two weeks later.

Been, who succeeded Frank Vercauteren as Genk's head coach at the end of August, said: "I know that Kevin is a really great player and that Chelsea already talked about him.

"Chelsea look and want to buy all the big talents so, for me, it wouldn't be a surprise if Kevin went to Chelsea. Everyone's got his price."

Captain Daniel Tozser added of his team-mate: "I think every game is a chance for him to show himself.

"Of course, he's a great talent. It's not surprising that Chelsea watched him.

"I hope personally he will show Chelsea tomorrow that they made a mistake in that he stayed with us."

Been added, jokingly: "I hope he makes five goals.

"I think he will be sold then."

Genk arrived at Stamford Bridge ravaged by injuries, particularly in defence.

"It's a pity we have this bad luck," said midfielder Tozser, who insisted the visitors were confident of shocking their opponents tomorrow.

"If not then we would not go out to the pitch," he said.

"We will do everything to make it as difficult for them as possible."

Genk has lost its last three matches and have failed to score in its opening two Champions League games against Valencia and Bayer Leverkusen.

Been admitted his side's recent form was a "problem" but added: "If I tell my players, 'We cannot achieve anything in this game', then it's better to stay home.

"A Dutchman is always positive and that is I what to give to my team.

"Losing against a team like Chelsea wouldn't be a great problem.

"First, we have to give 100% and you never know what happens during 90 minutes.

"As a coach and as a player, these are things that you train for and play for.

"We know that we have to have a really good night to get a really good result against this Chelsea.

"They have a big selection with a lot of great players, so it's difficult for me to know who's playing tomorrow."

Fernando Torres is likely to be unleashed on Genk, with the Spain striker currently serving a three-match domestic ban.

Been said: "They can play (Nicolas) Anelka, they can play (Didier) Drogba, they can play Torres, they can play everybody.

"They have a lot of players who I will say can come to Genk and help us every week to get a better result."

Milan Jovanovic netted the only goal of the first half before second-half strikes from Guillaume Gillet, Dieudonne Mbokani, Matias Suarez and a Marcin Wasilewski penalty sealed the rout.

The triumph kept Anderlecht a point clear of second-placed Club Brugge, which saw off Gent 2-0 courtesy of a goal in each half from Thomas Meunier and Bjorn Vleminckx.

Neto put Cercle in front in the 21st minute and the advantage was doubled four minutes later through Igor Vetokele.

Julien Gorius' 29th-minute penalty halved the deficit and Cercle finished the match with 10 men after Neto was sent off on the hour mark.

Cercle is fourth, with Mons three points behind in fifth after a 3-1 home win over KV Kortrijk.

Mustapha Oussalah gave the visitor an 11th-minute lead but Mons recovered as Jeremy Sapina equalised in the 42nd minute, Jeremy Perbet (70) made it 2-1 and Ebrahim Savaneh completed the comeback with a quarter of an hour to go.

At the bottom of the table, winless St Truidense slipped to an eighth defeat in 10 matches with a 4-2 loss at home to Germinal Beerschot, with all six goals coming in the second half.

A brace from Hernan Losada put Germinal in apparent control but Reza Ghoochannejhad's penalty gave the host hope.

Ibrahima Sidibe made it 3-1 before Rubin Okotie (St Truidense) and Adnan Custovic (Germinal) traded late goals.

Lokeren moved within a point of Genk by beating it 3-1 at home.

Christian Benteke gave Genk a 10th-minute lead but was sent off two minutes before half-time, and two minutes after Nill de Pauw had brought Lokeren level.

Second-half goals from Ibrahima Gueye and Ayanda Patosi sealed the home team's comeback.

OH Leuven is a point behind Lokeren following a 1-1 draw against Westerlo.

Substitute Derick Ogbu's 72nd-minute goal cancelled out Evariste Ngolok's 23rd-minute effort for Westerlo.

A brace from Mohamed El Gabbas (27 & 57) enabled Lierse to come from behind and win 2-1 away to Zulte-Waregem.

Mbokani scored after 74 minutes to move his side clear of Gent and Club Brugge, which drew 1-1 at Germinal Beerschot.

Joseph Akpala put Brugge ahead with 16 minutes to go but Vusimuzi Nyoni levelled in the final minute.

Standard Liege moved up to fifth with a 2-0 defeat of Lierse.

Jelle van Damme opened the scoring approaching the half-hour mark and Felipe made it 2-0 six minutes later.

But after the break the home side netted five times without reply through Cesar Arzo, Ljubijankic, Tim Smolders, Elimane Coulibaly and Soumahoro Yaya to seal a big win.

Gent climbed above Club Brugge, which is yet to play Germinal Beerschot.

Cercle Brugge stays fourth after playing out a disappointing 2-2 draw with 10-man St Truidense.

Bottom club St Truidense took a 22nd-minute lead through Reza Ghoochannejhad but looked to have lost the match when they had Koen Daerden sent off in the 70th minute and then fell 2-1 behind through goals from Hans Cornelis (72) and Amido Balde (88).

However, an 89th-minute own goal from Nuno Reis earned the away side a point.

Mael Lepicier scored two goals in the last five minutes to help Mons salvage a 3-3 draw at home to Lokeren.

Earlier, Lokeren scored twice in the opening eight minutes through Benjamin Mokulu and Koen Persoons to go 2-0 ahead and then, after Jeremy Perbet had pulled a goal back for Mons in the 15th minute, the visitor restored its two-goal advantage midway through the second period thanks to Ibrahima Gueye.

There was a late twist though as Lepicier's brace earned Mons a draw.

A 73rd-minute goal from Dalibor Veselinovic helped KV Kortrijk record a 1-0 win over 10-man Mechelen, which had Antonio Ghomsi sent off late on.

Westerlo and Zulte-Waregem shared a 1-1 draw.

Shlomi Arbeitman put Westerlo ahead in the 24th minute but Guiseppe Rossini equalised on the stroke of half-time.

N'Zolo interrupted the Belgian league match between Racing Genk of Dutch-speaking Flanders and Standard Liege, the biggest club in Wallonia, when the Flemish fans started insulting their opposing supporters in French, calling them 'poo'.

A few weeks earlier, a game between Lierse and Beerschot was suspended when fans taunted Lierse goalkeeper and Japan native Eiji Kawashima with cries of 'Fukushima, Fukushima' - referring to the disaster at the nuclear power plant after the tsunami and earthquake in March.

After years of working to contain hooliganism at games, football and Belgian national authorities now want to do more to crack down on racial insults and insensitive taunts that rain down from the stands and infect the game through much of Europe.

On Monday, the Belgian government and football authorities launched Respect United, the latest initiative aimed at stamping out insulting behavior in European football.

Despite the list of ambassadors, charter for equality, general goodwill and banner waving, officials realise that, in itself, will not do the trick.

As many years as it took to push hooliganism to the fringes, it is likewise for insults and taunts.

"We won't eradicate this by tomorrow, but if we reduce it bit by bit, that's already something," N'Zolo said.

For the government the goal is clear.

"I want to reach a situation where we can go to a match just like we go to the theatre," Belgian Interior Minister Annemie Turtelboom said.

"If I take my two daughter to a game, I want to be sure that other people, or language groups, or your mother, are not insulted at will."

Next month, the Football Against Racism in Europe group plans a two-week campaign throughout the continent, seeking to highlight the seriousness of the issue ahead of the 2012 European championship in Poland and Ukraine.

Two anti-racism groups investigated an 18-month period from September 2009 to March 2011 in the two nations and found 195 individual incidents.

Last year, UEFA fined Macedonian club Rabotnicki 10,000 euros ($13,739) after its fans aimed racist abuse at Liverpool's black players during a Europa League match.

Two years earlier, UEFA ruled that Atletico Madrid had to play a Champions League match in an empty stadium because of racist behaviour by its fans against French club Marseille.

Also in 2008, FIFA fined the Croatia Football Federation 30,000 Swiss francs ($33,757) after fans directed racist chants at an England player during a World Cup qualifier.

The list goes on, with countless incidents in European leagues across the continent.

Racism in sports still goes beyond Europe, too. Last Thursday, a banana was thrown from the crowd in London, Ontario, as Philadelphia Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds, who is black, was skating toward the Detroit goal during a shootout. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called it 'stupid and ignorant'.

Such taunts have happened all over Europe for decades.

N'Zolo, who is black, still vividly remembers when he refereed a lower division game and heard someone shout at him to 'go back to Congo', referring to Belgium's former African colony.

He smiled, sought out the fan afterward and said his ancestry was in Gabon, about 800km from Congo.

So when the Genk fans shouted 'Les Wallons, c'est du caca', or 'Walloons are poo', N'Zolo followed the regulations and sent everybody off the field. After an interruption of about 10 minutes, the players came back and the taunting stopped.

"I achieved my goal because the insults stopped," N'Zolo said.

When the Belgian federation gave Genk a 600 euro ($824.35) fine, Turtelboom was not happy.

"You can make a much bigger statements than ask for 600 euros," she said. "That, in fact, is peanuts."

Turtelboom said the government asked for video evidence and hopes to identify individuals responsible for the incident and slap them with at least a three-month stadium ban.

Beyond racism and xenophobia, many fans insist on just being hateful.

Last week, Belgian league club Beerschot formally apologised to Kawashima and the Japanese embassy after some of its fans taunted the goalkeeper with 'Fukushima' chants.

The referee interrupted the match until the taunts stopped. When the player went to confront the fans where the taunting started he was pelted with coins and beer.

"The Fukushima incident really gave our game a bad image," Turtelboom said.

It is hardly an isolated incident.

At a Manchester United-Leeds United Carling Cup match in England last week, United fans chanted 'Istanbul' in reference to two Leeds fans stabbed to death there.

Leeds fans retorted, chanting 'Munich' in reference to the 1958 plane crash in Germany, which killed the prime of United's team at the time.

"It is off the scale," FARE executive director Piara Powar said in a telephone interview.

He said that even if clearcut racism may be declining slightly, it is quickly replaced by general insults that may hide the same sympathies.

"It is this mindset we need to overcome," Powar said.

Heavy fines may help, but Belgian minister Turtelboom was looking abroad for inspiration.

Turkey came up with a radical solution for unruly behavior - ban the men and let only women and children in.

Last week, more than 41,000 women and children filled the Fenerbahce stadium to watch the Istanbul side draw 1-1 with Manisapor.

Anderlecht was in control thanks to goals from Roland Juhasz (31) and Gillet (36), but the visitor fought back after the break through Roni Porokara (64) and a penalty from Hernan Losada (69).

Losada turned swiftly from hero to villain though, picking up quickfire bookings for his celebration and a foul on Sacha Kljestan, and Anderlecht took advantage of its numerical superiority with Gillet's late strike.

The win left Anderlecht second in the Jupiler Pro League, one point behind Club Brugge.

The day's other game was a goalless draw between Standard Liege and Cercle Brugge, which had Gregory Mertens sent off on the hour mark.

The visitor had Gonzague Vandooren sent off in the 42nd minute but Cercle could not capitalise, leaving it only one point above Gent, and three above Anderlecht, before the two play on Sunday afternoon (local time).

Anderlecht has a superior goal difference.

Mons is up to fourth after thrashing Mechelen 5-1.

Jeremy Perbet's early strike was cancelled out by Abdul-Yakuni Iddi, but the visitor had no response after Rachid Bourabia put Mons back in front before half-time.

Perbet completed his hat-trick with goals in the 62nd and 84th minutes before Bourabia's late second capped the win.

Kortrijk moved to within three points of the top with a 2-0 win over Leuven, despite playing more than half-an-hour with 10 men.

Mustapha Oussalah got the first after four minutes and Brecht Capon doubled the lead after 22, but it made things harder in the second half with Mohamed Messoudi dismissed 33 minutes from time.

Westerlo picked up its first win of the season with a 2-0 victory over fellow struggler St Truidense, with Shlomi Arbeitman getting the goals in the 50th and 68th minutes.

Goals in either half from Ibrahima Sidibe and Guillaume Francois gave Germinal Beerschot a 2-0 win over Zulte-Waregem, which had Steve Colpaert sent off with 12 minutes to go.

Gent overturned an early deficit to win 3-1 at Zulte-Waregem, but only came to life after the dismissal of Miguel Dachelet early in the second half.

The host had gone in front through Guiseppe Rossini six minutes in and held on to the advantage until half-time.

But shortly after Dachelet's 53rd-minute exit, Bernd Thijs levelled the match. It was Thijs again who put it in front with a penalty just before the hour mark, and Ibrahima Conte's late strike capped the win.

The win puts Gent on 13 points alongside Cercle Brugge, top on goal difference, while Club Brugge is one point further back after a 2-1 win away to Mechelen.

Carl Hoefkens had it in front just three minutes in and Joseph Akpala doubled the lead eight minutes into the second half.

An own goal from Tom Hogli with six minutes left gave the host late hope but it could not find an equaliser.

Goals in either half from Milan Jovanovic and Guillaume Gillet gave Anderlecht a 2-0 win over Kortrijk, leaving it two points from the summit in fourth place.

Rudy netted in the 27th and 42nd minutes, and although visitor Germinal pulled a goal back through Ibrahima Sidibe midway through the second half, it was not enough to deny the host.

The win moves Cercle on to 13 points, two more than Standard Liege, which beat Westerlo thanks to an 88th-minute penalty from Franck Berrier.

Gent and Mechelen, who are third and fourth respectively with 10 points, are in action tomorrow.

Leuven is fifth after defeating 10-man Mons 3-1, with Derick Ogbu's second-half double sealing the win.

Jordan Remacle's 20th-minute penalty put Leuven ahead but Mons, despite losing Sawaneh Ibou to a red card in the 34th minute, drew level just after half-time through Matumona Zola. However, Leuven made the most of its numerical advantage thanks to Ogbu's goals in the 70th and 83rd minutes.

The night's other game saw struggling duo Lierse and Lokeren play out a 1-1 draw, with Mohamed El Gabbas putting the former ahead with a 60th-minute penalty before Lokeren salvaged a point with a 90th-minute leveller from Benjamin Mokul.

Reza Ghoochannejhad gave the host the lead on 27 minutes but Thomas Buffel immediately equalised and put Genk ahead four minutes after half-time.

Jelle Vossen extended the lead midway through the second half but Gregory Christ and Sascha Kotysch drew St Truidense level, only for Toszer to pop up three minutes from time to seal a 4-3 win for the visitor.

The 24-year-old, who has been at Anderlecht for seven years, will earn a reported 1.8 million euros ($2.39 million) a year.

"It breaks my heart to leave but I am looking forward to a new challenge after seven years of loyal service," said Legear, who won three championship titles with Anderlecht.

"Furthermore, I will significantly improve my finances and a football career is so short.

"I will always carry the purple and white in my heart. I will never forget the support I have had throughout these years. I wish Anderlecht the best of luck in the league and Europa League."

Legear made his debut for the Belgian national side in October 2010 in a European championship qualifier against Kazakhstan.

Terek is currently 10th in the Russian championship after 22 of the 30 rounds.

Bulykin, who struggled to claim a place with the Belgian giant, spent last season on loan with ADO Den Haag and moves to Amsterdam after being released by Anderlecht.

The 31-year-old impressed in the Eredivisie with 21 league goals for ADO, and believes he has found his true home in the Netherlands.

"The Eredivisie seems to be the perfect competition for me," he told Ajax's website. "If I am successful with Ajax, you can say that the Dutch league is for me."

The Belgian club confirmed the appointment of the 47-year-old Dutchman on its website.

Been resigned as coach of Feyenoord in July after the squad turned against him.

The Rotterdam side struggled for form last season and could only manage a 10th-placed finish in the Eredivisie.

Carcela's Belgian club Standard Liege said that terms between the clubs and with the player had been agreed and the last hurdle would be his medical tests which would be carried out in Rome.

Standard made no mention of a transfer fee but press reports have said that the 22-year-old Carcela would cost around 9.1 million euros ($12.3 million).

The Moroccan has been at Standard since he was seven years old and he was first capped for Morocco last season, but has been out of action since May when he sustained a bad injury to his face.

Apart from the high-profile signing of Eto's, Anzhi, which is are based in the troubled Caucasus region of Dagestan, has also brought in another Moroccan Mbark Boussoufa and Brazilians Roberto Carlos and Jucilei da Silva.

The club is currently fifth in the Russian first division.

Brugge had Colin Coosemans sent off after 74 minutes but looked like it would steal victory when Vadis Odjija Ofoe scored an 84th-minute penalty.

But Anderlecht northern summer signing Milan Jovanovic netted in injury-time to share the spoils and leave Brugge a point behind the leaders.

Standard Liege was also held to a 1-1 draw at Germinal Beerschot.

Standard led through Jelle Van Damme on 52 minutes but home substitute Dor Malul equalised on 79 minutes.

Jeremy Perbet (57) and Rachid Bourabia (61) put Mons on the verge of a famous victory before substitute Nathan Kabasele (67) scored within a minute of coming off the bench. Lucas Biglia (75) then earned the host a share of the spoils.

Standard Liege beat 10-man KV Kortrijk 3-1 to move up to fourth in the embryonic league table.

Antonio Kanu (8) opened the scoring for Liege before Dalibor Veselinovic equalised after 56 minutes.

Aloys Nong (69) then put Liege back in front before David Vandenbroeck was sent off and M'Baye Leye scored the third in the last minute.

A 53rd-minute Odjija Ofoe penalty earned Club Brugge a 1-1 draw at Zulte-Waregem which had taken the lead in the 18th minute through Guiseppe Rossini.

Lierse had gone a goal up when visiting Beerschot fans threw a projectile in the direction of Japanese international keeper Kawashima before insulting him with chants of 'Kawashima-Fukushima! Kawashima-Fukushima!' the Belga agency reported.

After protests by Kawashima, the referee decided to bring play to a halt for several minutes until order was restored.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw but Kawashima, 28, left the pitch at full-time in tears and spoke of his anger at the chants.

"I am prepared to forget about a lot of things but not that. It is not remotely funny," he said.

Kawashima has visited parts of the region on the east coast of Japan's main island Honshu, which was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami on 11 March.

The natural disaster also caused major damage at a nuclear power plant in Fukushima.

Alessandro Cordaro gave the visitor the lead after eight minutes but it had Kenny Vanhoevelen sent off two minutes before the break.

Jordan Remacle scored from the penalty spot two minutes later but Julien Gorius secured the points for Mechelen six minutes into the second half.

Cercle Bruge scored all five goals but only ended up winning 3-2 against 10-man Genk.

Denis Viane scored own goals after 15 and 55 minutes but his blushes were spared by team-mates Kevin Janssens, who scored after 10 and 26 minutes, and Rudy Wilson Da Rocha (75). Genk's Fabien Camus was also sent off after 39 minutes.

Mijat Maric scored after five and 90 minutes, the second a penalty, as Lokeren won 2-0 away to St Truidense.

Lokeren ended the game with 10 men after Jeremy Taravel was dismissed with eight minutes remaining.

Gent is third in the table after its 3-2 win at Westerlo after trailing 2-1 at half-time.

Zlatan Ljubijankic gave the visitor the lead after 10 minutes but Steven De Petter (27) and an Alpha Ba own goal (41) put the home side in charge.

Two goals from Yassine El Ghanassy (54 and 60) ensured Gent took all three points.

Lukaku completed his protracted transfer to his boyhood idols, the teenage sensation having made no secret of his love for his new club.

And he has now described the exact moment which convinced him blue was the colour, fellow striker Hasselbaink's sensational volley in Chelsea's 3-3 draw against Manchester United almost 11 years ago.

It was enough for the seven-year-old Lukaku to pledge his support to the west London club and begin a journey which now sees him become a member of its star-studded squad.

"I used to watch Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scoring goals and remember one against Manchester United, the volley at Old Trafford, and I decided I wanted to support this team," Lukaku told his new club's official website, www.chelseafc.com.

Lukaku's own footballing talent was such that he soon began to fantasise about emulating his idols.

"I dreamed to play here since I was 10 years old, thinking about shaking hands with all those players like John Terry and Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba," he added.

"It's amazing to arrive here in a big club with big ambition. It was just what I was searching for."

Lukaku caught the eye of a number of Europe's top clubs after his free-scoring efforts for Anderlecht, but he was determined to move to Stamford Bridge.

His power, pace and eye for goal have seen him likened to new team-mate Drogba.

Lukaku said: "We have similar playing styles, but I am also very fast. I want to learn from him how it is to play here at the Bridge and how to prepare for games.

"I can also learn off the other strikers and experienced players in the squad.

"I think if you are clever on and off the pitch you will get accepted and that's what I want."

Lukaku's record in Belgian football was impressive.

He made his first-team debut at Anderlecht when he was 16 and averaged almost a goal every two games in the Jupiler League.

His goals helped Anderlecht win the Belgian title in 2010 and he scored three times in the Champions League qualifying round last season, although the team went out before the group stage.

Lukaku, whose father Roger played for Zaire in the 1990s, has won 10 caps for Belgium, scoring two goals.

He will wear the number 18 shirt for his new team and could not wait to get started.

He said: "It was a good experience to play in Belgium but I wanted to take a big step to join a big club and I said from day one that I wanted to go to Chelsea.

"To be here now is so good, there are guys with a lot of experience at international level and they won everything, but I didn't, I don't have the same feeling as them.

"I just want to win something so I am very hungry to start with these guys."

Chelsea failed to lift any silverware last season but Lukaku was confident that would be rectified this term.

"I understand there is a lot of pressure on the team but with the players that we have, so much experience and so much talent, and with a great boss also, you can see that we can be confident we can make a successful season," he said.

On his targets for the campaign ahead, he added: "First of all, I just want to learn and train as much as possible to improve myself and show the coach that when he needs me I am ready.

"Then I hope to make minutes for the team and be helpful for the team, because the team is the most important thing. If you think positively about the team it will be positive for you."

De Bruyne caught the eye of a number of Europe's top clubs last year by putting in a series of impressive performances to help Genk lift the Belgian title.

The 20-year-old is seeking a move from his homeland and would be happy to move to Chelsea although he does admit he would also be open to the idea of returning to Genk on loan for a season as part of the deal.

"My manager went to Chelsea on Wednesday and discussions have been good," De Bruyne, who is currently sidelined with a calf injury, told Belgian TV show Extra Time.

"Maybe by the end of the month a deal can be sorted out, because that would be a good thing for all three parties - and if there is an agreement with Chelsea, I would certainly spend another year at Genk."

De Bruyne's Belgium team-mate Romelu Lukaku is expected to put the finishing touches to his move to Stamford Bridge this week.

The striker has already undergone a medical at Chelsea's training ground and the two clubs have agreed a fee, thought to be in the region of £18 million ($28.28 million).

Chelsea has already signed one Genk player this northern summer - goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois - but he was immediately loaned out to Atletico Madrid.

Matias Suarez scored the only goal of the game three minutes before half-time, leaving it a point behind early leader Club Brugge.

The night's other game saw KV Mechelen beat Lierse 2-1.

Allesandro Cordaro opened the scoring with 15 minutes gone and, although Peter Kovacs levelled, Julien Gorius won it with eight minutes left.

Two first-half goals from Lior Rafaelov - one either side of Maxime Lestienne's strike - looked to have put the visitor on course for its second win in two games.

But the host got back into the game through goals from Reza Ghoochannejhad and Nils Schouterden and then - despite the 68th-minute dismissal of Dimitri Daeseleire - nicked a dramatic point thanks to Gregory Dufer's stoppage-time equaliser.

Brugge was joined on four points by Standard Liege, which beat Lokeren 3-1.

Reginal Goreux put the host ahead midway through the first half and a penalty by M'Baye Leye six minutes before the break doubled the advantage.

Leye was on target again just after the hour and, although Mijat Maric pulled a goal back from the spot, Liege had already done more than enough.

Westerlo remained bottom despite picking up its first point of the campaign with a goalless home draw against nine-man KV Kortrijk.

The visitor had Ervin Zukanovic sent off after 16 minutes and Mustapha Oussalah red-carded 19 minutes from time, but Westerlo was unable to take advantage.

The Blues have been in pursuit of the 18-year-old Brussels-born forward all northern summer but are now poised to complete a deal, subject to the player passing a medical and agreeing personal terms.

While Lukaku is poised to become Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas' third signing, the Portuguese has allowed Zhirkov to return to Russia, with Premier Liga side Anzhi Makhachkala confirming the player had signed a four-year contract.

Chelsea released a statement regarding the Lukaku deal which read: "An agreement has been reached with Anderlecht for the transfer to Chelsea of striker Romelu Lukaku.

"The move is now subject to the player passing a medical and agreeing personal terms."

Lukaku scored 16 goals in 37 league appearances last season and already has two to his name in two games in the current campaign for the Brussels club.

He has also won 10 senior caps for Belgium.

Anderlecht reported the news first, and its general manager Herman van Holsbeeck told the club's official website www.rsca.be: "We regret the departure of Romelu...but the agreement is a win-win situation for the player and RSC Anderlecht. The club's management is committed to finding a good replacement in the short term.

"We wish him every success for the rest of his career."

The player posted a comment on Twitter which read: "I have an announcement to make...Next week I'm going to London for the medical tests."

Villas-Boas admitted after his side's friendly against Rangers that a deal was close.

He said: "He is a very interesting young prospect and the situation is now that we have to position ourselves to maybe get this kind of talent.

"So I would say that anything can happen."

The Blues reportedly had an £18 million ($28.26 million) bid for the player turned down last month.

Zhirkov, who joined Chelsea in an £18 million deal from CSKA Moscow in the northern summer of 2009 but struggled to hold down a first-team berth, partly due to injury problems, has left with a year remaining on his contract.

The 27-year-old, who passed a medical on Saturday morning, was presented to his new club's fans prior to Anzhi's 2-0 win over Tomsk in the Russian Premier Liga.

"FC Anzhi has come to an agreement with Chelsea for the transfer of the Russian national team player Yury Zhirkov to our club," read a statement on fc-anji.ru

"This morning the newcomer to our team, after a medical check-up, signed a four-year contract."

Speaking to the club's fans ahead of the game, Zhirkov said: "I am very glad to be here in Makhachkala. I did not expect such a reception. It is fantastic.

"I want to thank Anzhi fans and wish our team great success today."

Zhirkov, who according to reports in Russia has cost ambitious Anzhi around £13 million ($20.41 million), leaves Stamford Bridge after making 48 first-team appearances.

Chelsea completed its pre-season programme with a 3-1 win over Rangers at Ibrox, and Villas-Boas was relaxed after a comfortable afternoon for the London side.

Nikica Jelavic headed the Scottish champion into the lead after six minutes but Daniel Sturridge's first-half double and a header from Florent Malouda emphasised the gap in class between the two sides.

The scoreline could have been worse for the home side had substitute goalkeeper Neil Alexander, on for Allan McGregor at the interval, not saved Frank Lampard's penalty.

The Stamford Bridge coach was impressed with Sturridge, who was on loan to Bolton Wanderers in the second half of last season.

He said: "He has been sparkling in this pre-season.

"It is nothing new, it is what he was doing in Bolton and he deserves his chance.

"He has been showing his qualities and we will count on him this season with a different perspective."

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel limped off injured in the first half, and Villas-Boas added: "He had a knock which he suffered a few days ago in training.

"He had an injection before the game to avoid pain but it was getting pretty nasty for him and we decided to take him out of the game.

"We will evaluate the situation and make a decision because he is one of our players involved in the international break."

Chelsea confirmed later that Zhirkov would return to Russia with Anzhi in a statement on its official website, www.chelseafc.com

It has four points from its two games so far, and shares the lead with two other sides.

One of them, Cercle Brugge, is a place behind it in second after 1-1 draw with Mons.

Rudy Wilson Da Rocha gave Brugge a 61st-minute lead, but substitute Jeremy Perbet levelled with 12 minutes remaining.

Germinal Beerschot drew 2-2 with AA Gent.

Three of the goals came inside the opening 21 minutes, with Gary Kagelmacher starting this off with a third-minute penalty for Germinal.

Zlatan Ljubijankic and Bernd Thijs turned things around for Gent, before Ibrahima Sidibe equalised with 21 minutes left.

Elsewhere, Zulte-Waregem beat OH Leuveb 2-1.

Thomas Matton scored the first goal in the opening minute, with Aleksandar Trajkovski making it two before the break.

Jordan Remacle pulled one back after the break.

Chelsea has been monitoring Lukaku for some time now after his scoring exploits with the Belgian club over the past two years, and the Blues reportedly had an £18 million ($28.2 million) offer turned down for the player last month.

The 18-year-old, who has also caught the attention of a number of Europe's other top sides, has regularly stated his desire to join Andre Villas-Boas' side despite the fact that he will face stiff competition for a first-team place.

The Portuguese already has a wealth of options up front, including Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres, but Lukaku is confident that a move to London will be worthwhile.

When asked if he is ready to play for a club the calibre of Chelsea, the teenager told Het Laatse Nieuws: "Absolutely. If I'm surrounded by players stronger even than those of Anderlecht, I have the ability to adapt quickly and raise my level.

"(Daniel) Sturridge, (Salomon) Kalou and (Nicolas) Anelka play on the flank and they have two central strikers, Drogba and Torres.

"(Even) When a club has three strikers for a position, they will always play games, because those clubs can play 70 matches a year.

"There may be players sold, so they need me. I will wait."

Real Madrid has also been strongly linked with the Belgium international, who scored 16 times for Anderlecht last season.

Reports in Belgium claim that Anderlecht president Herman Van Holsbeeck travelled to London on Friday to discuss a deal with the Blues, and Lukaku wants his future resolved as soon as possible.

"Anderlecht and my agent are aware that this uncertainty is not good for the club or for me," the youngster added.

"They will fix things at some time in the future."

Villas-Boas could be set to sell his first big-name player since arriving at Stamford Bridge, with Russian reports suggesting that Yury Zhirkov is on the brink of completing a move to free-spending Russian league side Anzhi Makhachkala.

Zhirkov moved to Chelsea for a reported £18 million ($28.2 million) from CSKA Moscow in 2008 but has not been able to secure a regular starting place.

Left-back Ashley Cole, meanwhile, has vowed not to follow the increasing number of footballers joining microblogging site Twitter.

The England full-back has been the subject of several controversial stories about his private life throughout his career and he is not prepared to create further headlines by airing his views via the website.

"Never. It's certain people's preferences but I prefer to keep myself to myself," Cole told Football Focus.

Villas-Boas has underlined his desire since taking over to succeed where his predecessors failed and bring the UEFA Champions League trophy to Stamford Bridge.

Cole is no different, admitting he is desperate to help bring the biggest prize in club football to Chelsea.

"It's something that when a player hasn't won it, they want to win it," Cole said.

"And a lot of the players in this Chelsea team have not won it so the hunger is still there.

"You look back on your career and see what other medals and big trophies you've won. A lot of the players have won the Premier League three times, so if they did finish their careers without winning the Champions League it would kill them."

Lukaku has been strongly linked with a move to Chelsea and the teenager proved his goalscoring quality with Anderlecht's third goal after 78 minutes to seal victory.

Anderlecht suffered a shock reverse to open the season against Leuven last week and had to battle for its win after David Destorme (51) cancelled out Sacha Kljestan's 26th-minute opener from the penalty spot.

But Matias Suarez fired them back ahead on 58 minutes before teenager Lukaku sealed victory.

Belgian giant Anderlecht announced the news on its website, saying that the deal will be completed once Jovanovic passes a medical on Thursday.

Jovanovic, now 30, joined Liverpool on a free transfer from Standard Liege last northern summer, having impressed former Reds boss Rafael Benitez, but he was unable to establish himself in the Premier League.

Anderlecht stated: "RSC Anderlecht and Liverpool FC reached today, Tuesday, August 2, 2011, an agreement on the transfer of Liverpool striker Milan Jovanovic."

Jovanovic had been linked with Anderlecht for several weeks, with there seemingly little prospect of him forcing his way into manager Kenny Dalglish's long-term plans at Anfield.

The skilful Serbian had been a huge success in Belgium with his previous club, boasting an impressive goals-per-game strike rate and catching the eye in the UEFA Champions League group stages in 2009.

Anderlecht general manager Herman Van Holsbeeck described negotiations with Liverpool as 'long, but fruitful' and spoke of Jovanovic's 'undeniable talent' and 'requisite experience' being key qualities.

The Reds later announced a deal was in place with the Belgian side.

A club statement read: "Liverpool confirmed this evening they have reached agreement with Anderlecht for the transfer of Milan Jovanovic."

The 18-year-old has long been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, with reports suggesting talks have taken place between the clubs.

Lukaku has been tipped by many as a potential long-term replacement for Didier Drogba, although he would likely struggle to dislodge the Ivorian, Fernando Torres and Nicolas Anelka in the Chelsea pecking order in the immediate future.

That could result in the Blues deciding to farm him out on loan, as they have done with new goalkeeping recruit Thibaut Courtois, who joined Atletico Madrid the moment he completed his move from Genk.

But Lukaku told Belgian TV station VTM: "When I do leave, it will not be to be loaned out as Thibaut Courtois has been."

Lukaku revealed earlier this year that he dreamed of playing for Chelsea.

But he said on Sunday: "I want to go to a club where I can develop further. It's not that I just want to be transferred to Chelsea.

"At the moment, I am patient. I remain at Anderlecht and I am not thinking of a transfer."

Anderlecht last week denied receiving a £20 million ($29.7 million) bid from Chelsea for Lukaku amid reports general manager Herman van Holsbeeck had been in London for talks with the Premier League club.

The 19-year-old has penned a four-year contract, the Bundesliga outfit announced on its website.

"We are pleased that we could secure the services of Koen Casteels, a highly talented young goalkeeper," general manager Ernst Tanner told www.achtzehn99.de

"He is recognised as one of the top talents in Europe."

All the goals came in a remarkable second half, with Bjorn Vleminckx opening the floodgates (51') after Joris van Hout's error and Victor Vazquez doubling the lead (59') before Gunther Vanaudenaerde was sent off against his former club (61').

Vadis Odjija Ofoe made it three (66') and substitute Thomas Meunier added an excellent fourth (80') before defender Ryan Donk rounded off the scoring with four minutes remaining after linking up well with Vleminckx.

The game was all but over with 55 minutes still to play as Genk raced into a 3-0 lead with goals from Daniel Tozser (20'), Elyaniv Barda (31') and David Hubert (35'). Gary Kagelmacher's 74th-minute penalty proved to be no more than a consolation for Beerschot.

Standard Liege drew 1-1 at Mons as former Wolves defender Jelle van Damme's 67th-minute strike for Standard cancelled out an effort by Ebrahim Savaneh in the 41st minute.

Oleg Lachtchouk's 80th-minute spot-kick helped Cercle Brugge to a 1-0 win away to Gent, while Mechelen was a 2-1 home victor against St Truiden.

Boris Pandza (66') scored Mechelen's opener but Gregory Dufer levelled three minutes later, and it took Julien Gorius' 83rd-minute goal to seal it.

Lierse drew 1-1 at 10-man KV Kortrijk as Brecht Capon's 53rd-minute penalty drew the home side level four minutes after Ernest Webnje Nfor had been sent off. Milos Maric had earlier given Lierse the lead (17').

The day's other game between Lokeren and Zulte-Waregem finished goalless.

The 30-year-old joined the Reds on a free transfer last northern summer from Standard Liege but struggled to hold down a regular place.

He made just one start after Kenny Dalglish took over for the second half of the season and did not make the squad for the final four months of the campaign.

The Serbia international's wife has already expressed her preference to return to Belgium and it appears Anderlecht has made its move.

"We're currently negotiating with Jovanovic but we couldn't achieve an agreement (yet)," a spokesman for the Belgian side told BBC Sport.

"We're very much interested and the player would like to come.

"Anderlecht are due to contact Liverpool today."

Jovanovic is one of a number of players surplus to requirements at Anfield and has been told he can leave.

The stumbling block so far has been finding a club willing to come close to matching the player's current wages, which are believed to be around £60,000 ($90,179) a week.

The 19-year-old played with the Belgian Pro League outfit as a teenager before joining the Spurs academy as a 16-year-old in June 2008.

M'Poku leaves White Hart Lane without making a first-team appearance but impressed during a loan spell at League One outfit Leyton Orient last season, making 35 appearances and scoring three goals.

Genk announced, in a statement on its club website, it was left with no option other than to let Courtois leave when he did not appear for the friendly against Lyon.

Courtois, 19, is a 6ft 6ins goalkeeper who was first choice for Genk in Belgium's top division, the Jupiler League, last season. He also received a first call-up to the senior Belgium squad.

Genk said Chelsea's offer for Courtois was "by far the largest bid" they have ever received for a player.

Celtic confirmed that Wanyama had signed a four-year contract after its successful appeal to the Scottish Football Association over his work permit on Friday.

The 20-year-old Kenya international, who has been signed as a centre-back, has to wait in Belgium for the UK Border Agency to rubber-stamp the SFA's decision.

But Celtic confirmed he would be joining it after he passed a medical.

Wanyama, who has complete a near £1 million ($1.49 million) move from Germinal Beerschot, told the club's official website: "I am delighted to sign for Celtic Football Club. With the formalities now out of the way, I can look forward to meeting up with my new team-mates and manager on their return from Australia.

"It has always been a dream of mine to play for a club like Celtic.

"After reading the club's incredible history I have chosen 67 as my squad number to show appreciation to the 1967 squad.

"My ambition at Celtic is to win many trophies like the Lisbon Lions."

The deal for the 28-year-old forward includes an option to buy the four-times capped Cameroon international.

"Kouemaha is the type of player whose power, height and heading ability can help us," coach Marco Kurz told the club's website.

"He has good speed and is strong and experienced."

The well-travelled player previously played in the German second tier for Duisburg before heading to Belgium, where he has scored 19 goals in 67 appearances for Brugge.

The 18-year-old has already broken into the Belgium national side and is attracting interest from across Europe.

However, Lukaku insists suggestions a deal is imminent are wide of the mark, and says he is only focused on his school exams.

In a statement on his Facebook and Twitter pages, the striker said: "I read a lot in the paper about me these days.

"Some journalists try to sell information they don't always know about. Please know that my current and only focus is ... passing my exams.

"After that I'll have some holiday and will start the pre-season with RSCA [Anderlecht]."

The players' agent Christophe Henrotay added no negotiations had taken place with Chelsea, who is still to appoint a successor to Carlo Ancelotti.

"There has not yet been a meeting between Chelsea and Anderlecht, nothing can be concluded," Henrotay told Belgian newspaper Het Belang van Limburg.

"Anderlecht want a lot of money for Lukaku, he costs more than two million you know - it will take more time.

"With the current state of things, Romelu will resume training on June 24 with Anderlecht."

However, Anderlecht general manager Herman van Holsbeeck expects a deal to happen sooner or later as the Belgian club plan for the future.

"Sure he will leave, and his departure is crucial to our transfers," Van Holsbeeck told the Gazet van Antwerpen.

"I do not know if it will be Chelsea, there are many big clubs interested and we are negotiating.

"One thing is certain, he will not spend another year with Anderlecht."

The 22-year-old Perisic has signed a five-year contract with the club, Dortmund said.

Perisic played for Hajduk Split before moving to Sochaux and then to Brugge. He scored 22 goals last season.

Belgium striker Lukaku, 17, has been linked with a host of top clubs across Europe but Herman van Holsbeeck expects the youngster to head to England when he leaves the Brussels club.

"We know that Real Madrid are interested, but I think his future would rather be in England," Van Holsbeeck told Sudpresse.

"Teams like Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool are interested. But if the two Manchester clubs enter the race, it might be interesting."

Van Holsbeeck also warned that Lukaku, who has scored 27 goals in 59 appearances for Anderlecht, would not be sold on the cheap, saying: "The Lukaku price in the market is 30 million euro (£26million)."