Football associations in Netherlands and Belgium appoint new leaders

Zakaria Boufangacha has been appointed as the new director of amateur football at the KNVB, effective December 15. He succeeds Jan Dirk van der Zee, whose term concludes at the end of this year. Boufangacha brings extensive experience from the FNV trade union, where he served for nearly nineteen years, including eight years on the executive board. He also maintains active ties to amateur football through his involvement with the Utrecht-based club C.O.V. DESTO.

In Belgium, Vincent Mannaert has been officially named CEO of the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA). Previously serving as the organization's sports director, Mannaert will lead the association for the next four years. His stated goal is to develop the RBFA into a stable, modern, and future-oriented organization that serves the entire Belgian football community, including professional and amateur clubs.