Belgian champion Antwerp brings in Owen Wijndal to bolster defense ahead of Champions League campaign

Belgian champion Antwerp has brought in Netherlands left back Owen Wijndal on loan from Ajax until the end of the season ahead of its Champions League campaign.

Antwerp defeated Greek club AEK Athens last month in a playoff to reach he group stage for the first time. The club has been placed in Group H alongside Barcelona, Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Wijndal joined from Ajax, where he played 28 games last season but was not part of new coach Maurice Steijn’s plans.

Antwerp needed some defensive reinforcements especially after former Belgium international Toby Alderweireld picked up a shoulder injury against Athens that will rule him out for several weeks.

Former Dutch soccer great Marc Overmars, who was appointed sports director at Antwerp last year only weeks after abruptly quitting at Ajax, reportedly played an important role in securing Wijndal’s services.

Overmars was forced into relinquishing his sports director role at Ajax and apologized for his behavior after admitting to sending inappropriate messages to female colleagues.

The 23-year-old left-footed Wijndal has made 11 appearances with the Dutch national team. His contract with Ajax runs until June 30, 2027.

Antwerp won its first Belgian league title since 1957 in June on a dramatic final day of the season. Antwerp also won the Belgian Cup last season, making it the fifth club in the history of Belgian soccer to secure the double.

The club took part in the 1957-58 European Cup but never featured in the Champions League. Its main accomplishment on the European stage was reaching the 1993 European Cup Winners’ Cup final, losing to Parma 3-1.