“I was never in favour” – Manager blasts club over Aston Villa signing

Former Anderlecht manager Besnik Hasi has revealed he strongly opposed the club’s decision to sign Yasin Özcan last summer — a move he now believes summed up deeper problems behind the scenes.

In an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, later reported by Voetbal Belgie, the former Anderlecht boss did not hold back.

Anderlecht dismissed Hasi at the beginning of January, ending a difficult second spell in charge. It followed a rough 11‑month period, capped by a poor run-in which Anderlecht collected just five points from seven league games.

Clash with Olivier Renard over recruitment policy

Tensions had been growing behind the scenes, particularly between Hasi and director of football Olivier Renard.

Renard prioritised signing young foreign players, with an eye on maximising future transfer profits.

Hasi instead pushed for experience, favouring academy options and proven signings over long‑term projects. This was especially true in central defence after Jan Vertonghen retired last summer.

Why Hasi opposed the signing of Yasin Özcan

Despite those concerns, Renard opted to recruit youngsters Mihajlo Ilic and Yasin Özcan. Özcan arrived from Aston Villa, but Hasi made it clear he never supported the move

Hasi argued that the squad lacked leadership, saying: “Personality and quality — that is what Anderlecht needed.”

“A leader, because our defense was young after Jan Vertonghen retired. And then you eventually bring in Mihajlo Ilic and Yasin Özcan? Two boys who still needed to be trained. I was not in favor, no.

When challenged on Özcan’s Premier League background, Hasi dismissed the claim: “He didn’t come from Aston Villa. He came from Kasimpasa. He hadn’t played a single second for Villa.”

What happened to Yasin Özcan after Anderlecht

While Hasni’s comments may seem slightly harsh, he may have a point given what happened with Özcan this season.

He went to the Belgian side in the summer but struggled to settle or impress Hasni. There were also reports that he struggled with the language barrier.

As a result, Aston Villa recalled him at the end of January. But rather than keeping him at Villa Park, they immediately sent him to Beşiktaş on loan. That deal includes an obligation to buy at the end of the season.

He was part of the larger negotiation that took Tammy Abraham to Aston Villa. Villa’s willingness to include him in that deal under arguably underlines how limited his value was, and lends weight to Hasi’s criticism.