February 10 – Belgium’s 26 professional clubs registered total record losses of €139 million last year (2020-21 season), the bulk of it a result of the coronavirus crisis.
Brussels-based Anderlecht suffered a loss of €29 million, followed by Standard Liege with €17.5 million, OH Leuven with €16.4 million, Eupen with €13.4 million and Antwerp with €11.1 million, the five clubs combined responsible for 62% of all losses.
In 2020, clubs’ losses amounted to just €53.6 million. Anderlecht again was responsible for the lion’s share with a deficit of €34.8 million.
Sporting Charleroi, Club Brugge, Zulte Waregem, Moeskroen, KV Kortrijk en KV Mechelen were the only clubs to book a profit. Charleroi and Brugged top the €1 million mark. In 2020, Charerloi, Brugge and Racing Genk were among the clubs to present a seizable profit: €29 million for Genk, €24 million for Brugge and €5.4 million for Charleroi.
Last year, the Covid-19 crisis affected match-day revenue of the clubs, but the general malaise is the consequence of lax financial management with some second division clubs spending heavily as well in a bid to get promoted. Turkish-owned Westerlo registered a loss of €7.2 million while City Football Group’s Lommel United went €7.3 million into the red.
The poor finances follow January’s news that the federal prosecutor wants 57 suspects in court in operation ‘Clean Hands’, the largest investigation into match-fixing and corruption in the history of Belgian football.
Earlier this week, former Anderlecht executive Herman Van Holsbeeck was released after 22 days behind bars in a separate investigation over financial fraud in the transfers of Alexander Mitrovic and Chancel Mbemba to Newcastle United as well as Youri Tielemans to AS Monaco.
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