2023-11-21 18:59:00
It has been more than five years since Roger Lukaku (56) last appeared in the media, given the tensions that have reigned between him and his son since his parents’ divorce. The day following Romelu’s quadruple once morest Azerbaijan, he invited the DH to the Nouveau Colombier bistro in Molenbeek. To say how much he admires what his son is doing at the moment and to appeal to him for reconciliation. “I hope this article can open a door. I feel it: one day, this will get back to normal. I hope so with all my heart, because it hurts a lot.”
Roger finishes his game of billiards before giving us his vision of things. He is smiling and looks good. “I go jogging. And a lot of walks. From here to Molenbeek to the Gare de l’Ouest in Brussels. Or to Dilbeek. My health is good. I have had back problems, but I feel fit, now. I have the weight I had when I was a football player. (Laughs)”
Lukaku, power 4!, as the DH headlined Monday. Roger follows his son’s performances via TV and newspapers. ©Bernard Demoulin
“He will easily exceed 100 goals”
When asked if he was at the Stade Roi Baudouin when Romelu scored his four goals, Roger shook his head no. “Given the cold between the two of us, I preferred not to go to the match so as not to disturb it. I didn’t want to disturb it. I preferred to watch the match on TV.” Seeing Romelu at work, Roger was catapulted into the past. “I thought I was Neerpede when he was 16. What I saw was my trademark. I was explaining to him how an attacker must avoid the offside trap, for example. You saw his second goal, when the VAR checked if the goal was valid? Initially, he was in an offside position. But he came back into the game and then scored with his right foot. What he showed once morest Azerbaijan, It’s incredible. Even I opened my eyes like that. If he had stayed on the field, he would have taken six or seven. It’s a shame he went out. If he continues following ‘Euro, he will exceed 100 goals for the national team. Easily. But you know what pleased me the most once morest Azerbaijan? To see him in boss mode. You saw how he told Theate to clear when he continued to protest following his yellow card? It’s interesting. I was proud of him. I knew he was a leader of men and I always saw him as a good captain, but his maturity bothered me was still a surprise.”
“His best match since Belgium – USA”
Roger has never seen his son play a better match than once morest Azerbaijan. “He has already played a lot of great matches. But the one that struck me the most was Belgium – USA at the 2014 World Cup. It’s no secret: it wasn’t the great love between Marc Wilmots and him. He called me complaining. From my hospital bed, I told him: ‘If you play for even one second, you’re going to score.’ And that’s what he did. The 2022 World Cup? If he had played in a big nation, he wouldn’t have been taken back, given his injury. He did what he might once morest Croatia, but he wasn’t fit. I was in Congo. I was in the car during this match, I didn’t see him. I turned off my phone, which wouldn’t stop ringing. I felt that it “It was bad news that they wanted to tell me.” In 2018, Roger told us that his son would become the best striker in the world. “I don’t take back my words. The only difference with Haaland is that the Norwegian won the Champions League and is top scorer in the Premier League. Romelu was unlucky to lose the League final champions. But for the rest, do you see a better number ‘9’ in the world?”
Inter – Roma, the match during which Lukaku was whistled. “I turned off the TV at halftime.” ©AFP or licensors
“I stopped watching TV during Inter-Roma, it hurt too much”
Roger thoroughly defends his son in his war with his detractors in Italy. “He is right to work with lawyers and more with agents, who only thought regarding lining their pockets and not the interests of the player. It hurt me to see how he was treated in Italy. You know that I turned off the television at half-time of Inter Milan – AS Roma? It was hard. It was like someone was whistling at me. I know he has the skin of an elephant, but he There are limits. Stress can cause physical injuries. When you see what he did for Inter…” Roger is happy that his son has found José Mourinho. “He made the right choice by going to AS Roma. But I would have been in Saudi Arabia. I told Jordan – with whom the flow goes better – to pass on my message to him, that he should go to Al Hilal. How much would he have earned? 45 million per year? And he would have signed for three years? He should have spoken with Tedesco to see if he might keep his place in the national team. Like Ronaldo. Romelu has two children . He is already 30 years old. At a certain point you have to think regarding yourself. But he wanted to stay in Europe.”
“Monaco wanted to give 32 million for Jordan”
And Jordan, his other son? How is he doing at Adanaspor, a D2 club in Turkey? “It’s okay, he started in the last matches, but he was poorly supervised during his period at Lazio. At one point, Monaco wanted to pay 32 million to have him and he would have received 6 to 7 million per year , but the Albanian manager of Lazio (Igli Tare) refused. Jordan should have warned me. I would have pushed like at the very beginning of Romelu’s career. When Anderlecht did not want to give him his first contract to our conditions, I threatened to put him at Werder Bremen, who wanted to pay a lot of money. Anderlecht ended up giving in. It was a strategy.” In the meantime, following being loaned to Antwerp and Vicenza, Jordan played at Ponferradina. “He wasted his time in D2 in Spain. I hope he will still have a good career. For me, it’s not just Romelu who counts, but also Jordan. When I learn that he is a right that I don’t like, I let him know.”
“The old Anderlecht financed my club Rojolu”
At the moment, Roger is unemployed. “I’m looking for something in football. Between July 2022 and April 2023, I was general manager of one of the biggest Congolese clubs, DC Motema Pembe, which means white heart. But I stopped, he didn’t “There wasn’t enough seriousness for my taste.” Before that, he was president of FC Rojolu, a club he created himself. “Its name was made up of the initials of Romelu, Jordan and Lukaku. This club was born with the help of Anderlecht when Romelu signed his first contract at Anderlecht (in 2009). We played in D1 for five years.” Roger tells us some interesting news. “I had a contract with Anderlecht. The deal was that every year, two or three talents would be placed at Sporting. In exchange, we received annual funding.” None of the Congolese players really broke through. “Only Edo Kayembe, who is currently at Watford. The others, Anderlecht should have first loaned to smaller clubs like Ostend or Mechelen. The story was poorly managed.” In the meantime, Rojolu no longer exists. “When the new management bought Anderlecht, the financing of Rojolu was stopped by Anderlecht. Rojolu therefore no longer exists.”
“Anderlecht fan, even once morest RWDM”
When the name RSC Anderlecht is mentioned, Roger has a smile on his face. “I’m a supporter for life. What do you want? It’s this club that gave my two sons the opportunity to become professional.” He hasn’t been to Astrid Park often in recent years. “But here, I have my tickets to go once morest the RWDM. I live in Molenbeek, but on the other side of the Chaussée de Ninove where I live, it is the territory of Anderlecht. (Laughs)” Roger , he almost played at RWDM. “I was a hair’s breadth away from signing, in 1995 with Vermeersch (following his period at Seraing). But I finally left for Germinal Ekeren, who made me a better offer. My specialty was heading. I know that Romelu scored two very good headed goals once morest Azerbaijan, but I maintain that I was stronger with my head. (Laughs) I was jumping, looking at the goalkeeper while I was hanging in the air and I placed the ball in the corner. I invite you to watch the goal I scored with Seraing in Anderlecht when we won 0-2. The ball came behind me, it was complicated to put in the goal.”
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