By Samindra Kunti
October 25 – Can new winds, fresh capital and debt restructuring rejuvenate Anderlecht? Existing shareholders and new investors are set to inject the equivalent of €93 million into the club’s finances, while CEO Jos Donvil will be exiting the club.
In recent seasons Anderlecht has slumped to unprecedented lows, the consequence of a panoply of factors: poor sporting results, mismanagement, combined net losses of €63 million for the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, and mounting debts.
Majority owner Marc Coucke, however, is restructuring €51 million of debt: €18 million in fresh capital and €33 million via a ‘clause de retour à meilleure fortune’, allowing him to recoup the money when the club’s cash flow is healthy again. Coucke’s move all but wipes out Anderlecht’s debts.
But there is more: through the company ‘Mauveavie’ Anderlecht chairman Wouter Vandenhaute and Geert Duyck, who works for CVC Capital, will invest €42 million in fresh cash. It’s an odd reunion for the three. In 2017, Coucke outbid both Vandenhaute and Duyck when he became the owner of the club, relinquishing his shares in seaside club KV Oostende.
Steven Buyse, Duyck’s right-hand man at CVC Brussels, will also invest €5 million.
The new winds also led to the resignation of Donvil, the CEO who succeeded Karel Van Eetvelt in 2020. “I don’t want to say anything negative about Anderlecht,” said Donvil. “But the triangle between Vandenhaute, (sporting director) Peter Verbeke and I did not go as expected. I would approach the operation differently, hence this decision.”
Anderlecht is Belgium’s most decorated club with 34 league crowns. They sit in sixth position in the league table after 12 match days. On Sunday, coach Vincent Kompany led his team to a 4-2 victory against red lantern Beerschot.
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