Former Belgium goalkeeper Michel Preud'homme is expected to become the new Standard Liege coach after the club confirmed on Monday it had parted ways with Ricardo Sa Pinto.

Standard finished second in the Belgian top flight to earn a place in next season's Champions League qualifying rounds and defeated Genk in March to clinch an eighth domestic cup.

But the club reached a mutual agreement with Sa Pinto to move on from the Portuguese, who announced his departure on Sunday after a 0-0 draw at Charleroi in the final game of the season.

According to local media, Standard officials made up their mind several weeks ago to bring the 59-year-old Preud'homme back for a third spell in charge.

Preud'homme won the Belgian title twice with Standard as a player in the 1980s and then guided the club to another championship as manager in 2008.

He won 58 caps for Belgium and was voted best goalkeeper at the 1994 World Cup.