Sorare Goalkeeper Analysis: A Deep Dive into Standard's Squad
Updated: Mar 23
Today let's talk about the Belgian side Standard. For those who don't know, Standard has three goalkeepers under contract.
Arnaud Bodart
24 years (contract till 2025)
Market value: € 6.500.000
Sorare limited price on 23/3/22 7day average: 0.045 eth
Laurent Henkinet
29 years (contract till 2023)
Market value: € 300.000
Sorare limited price on 23/3/22 7day average: 0.033 eth
Mathieu Epolo
17 years (contract till 2023)
Market value: €100.000 (under23 in SO5 till 2028)
No cards minted yet
Who actually is the 1st goalkeeper now in Standard? Well, that's a good question, with a not-so-short answer. Right now it is Henkinet, but for three seasons in a row, it actually was Bodart.
Standard is a team with a great youth development reputation, I think names like Fellaini and Witsel will ring a bell to you.
From the Walloon part of Belgium, you can say they are the biggest club with a lot of fans all over the region. A team who battled almost every couple of seasons to win the Belgian title, with very often European football during the season. This season is by far the worst in the last decades.
First keeper for the last 3 seasons is youth player Arnaud Bodart. He got his chance years ago and took it.
Interesting to know is that in his first season as 1st goalie, Standard got Vanja Milenkovic-Savic on loan from Torino as their goalkeeper (Vanja M-S played almost a full season as the 1st gk in the Serie A for Torino this current season), but Bodart won the competition between them at that time.
Last season he was amongst the best goalkeepers in Belgium with very high performances, even end up being the captain of his team, including this season as well.
But Standard was recently financially a mess, this month they sold the club though, to an American investment group, who also have Genoa and Vasco Da Gama in their portfolio (they even have a stake in CF Sevilla). The mess at Standard caused they couldn't sign a lot of decent players last season and had to sell their best players (the last one was Siquet to Freiburg this winter).
The expectations within the club and fans were very high of course, but if you don't sign quality, you can't expect to aim high in the league. Do have to say that in the position they are in now, nobody could have expected that. I am telling you this to understand the reason for what happened with the goalkeepers.
For a club that is aiming high, but ends up being that low in the league, you can expect a lot of changes. I can't even tell you all the managers they had over the last seasons. The current manager Elsner (who came from another Belgian side Kortrijk during the season) has had the worst result as a coach from Standard for decades. When captain Bodart made two crucial errors in February (and not playing such a great season overall, just like the team in general), the manager decided to give a chance to Henkinet. Although being 29 years he doesn't have a lot of experience in the 1st division. He was the 1st gk in some 2nd division teams, but he was brought in at Standard only to be the backup from Bodart. Do have to say he is keeping very well since he had his chance (check his so5 scores), so normally the last 2 matches Henkinet will play.
Next season a lot will change at Standard. Current manager will have to go and the new owners will change a lot at Standard towards next season. If you own Standard cards, think very well what you have to do.
Do know that for a team as Standard, it is important to have a base of youth players as the backbone of the team, although with those new owners, you don't know, they did communicate that also for them, it's important to have a team like Standard, a team with a huge youth development academy.
It's unclear what will happen with the goalkeepers. There was a rumour created around Bodart going to Genoa, but that's not even a rumour, just the assumption of some journalists cause they have the same owners. I don't know if Bodart will want to go and play in Serie B (looks like Genoa will relegate). If Bodart would go, cause they need some money at the club and therefore sell him, for sure they will bring in another keeper as the 1st gk, don't expect they see Henkinet as a full 1st gk next season but looks like he will give competition to whoever that may be.
But I wouldn't be surprised if Bodart just stays at Standard, he is the captain after all, and the fans love him. New owners selling immediately one of the most popular players of the squad, that's maybe not the best idea. And of course let's see who will become the new manager, rumours around current Genoa manager Blessin, also ex-manager of Belgian side Oostende.