Van Praet was born in Belgium in 1985 and holds a UEFA A Licence. His professional background is strongly connected to coach education, academy football and talent development. He began his career as a youth coach at KV Mechelen, before taking on a professional leadership role at the Al-Ahli academy in Saudi Arabia. He later worked in Saudi football as a sports coordinator, before returning to Belgium, where he once again joined KV Mechelen, working in a role connected to the coordination of academy coaching.

Another important stage of his career came at Beerschot VA, where he worked as a sports coordinator and later as technical manager. In this position, he was directly involved in the operations of professional first-team football, including squad planning, transfer processes and shaping the club’s sporting direction. His time at Beerschot was particularly significant because, in addition to his experience in youth development and education, Van Praet also gained valuable insight into decision-making and sporting strategy in a senior professional environment.

In recent years, he worked for Double Pass, an international football consultancy and quality-assurance company that cooperates with clubs, leagues and federations around the world. Double Pass primarily focuses on the analysis, auditing and development of academy and sporting systems. The company does not operate as a player agency or a traditional scouting firm, but rather as a professional partner that assesses the structure of a club or federation, compares it with international standards and provides concrete recommendations for improvement. Its work centers on talent development, the quality of coaching, player pathways, academy structures, sporting processes, performance environments and long-term club value creation.

The background of Double Pass clearly reflects the kind of approach Van Praet may bring to Győr. His arrival should therefore be seen not only as the appointment of a new Sporting Director, but also as the strengthening of a professional direction in which club development, structure, awareness and international experience play a key role. His Belgian background is particularly interesting, as Belgium has become one of Europe’s leading examples in talent development and modern youth football over the past decades. The knowledge he gained in Belgian football, his experience in Saudi Arabia and on the international stage, as well as the projects he worked on at Double Pass, can all contribute to ETO FC developing an even more conscious and professional sporting structure.

This may be especially important for ETO FC at a time when the club is focusing not only on present results, but also on strengthening the foundations for the future. Sander Van Praet’s international experience, academy-focused mindset and club development background can bring fresh momentum to football in Győr. With his arrival, ETO welcomes a professional who is looking for the answer to one of the key questions in modern football: how to build a club that is successful, sustainable and development-oriented at the same time.

Good luck, Sander! Hajrá ETO!