KAA Gent chairman Sam Baro spits his bile: “It’s my dead body that we would proceed as Club Brugge did”
KAA Gent has appointed a new coach with Rik De Mil, but the departure of Ivan Leko and especially the conduct of Club Brugge is particularly difficult for Ghent chairman Sam Baro. He started the presentation of his new T1 with a clear statement.
“We are going to make it a short and concise press conference, because we still have a lot of work to do (sic),” Sam Baro spoke at the start of the press chat.
The Ghent chairman had written down his thoughts and read his letter.
“On Monday, I was completely, completely unexpectedly informed by telephone by Ivan Leko. He submitted his resignation with immediate effect and Nicky Hayen was thrown at the door in Bruges. That was a fait accompli.”
“A few moments later we were able to read the details in detail in the press. The media had been informed in advance under embargo. Both Hayen and KAA Gent were not informed.”
“There has been no personal contact between the new club and Ghent. 24 hours later, on Tuesday evening, they communicated with a dry and impersonal email that they will pay us compensation.”
“Words such as deontology, respect and sporting communication between clubs apparently have a different definition in my dictionary than in theirs. I don’t want to say more about it.”
One thing was paramount: immediately communicate correctly and personally with Charleroi about Rik. About my dead body that we would work in the same way as they do with us.
Sam Baro
KAA Gent criticizes Club Brugge’s actions, but in turn lured Charleroi’s coach to Ghent.
Baro: “We took the uppercut and immediately got to work. It happened very quickly. Our top priority is to be ready for the match against Antwerp on Sunday.”
“Rik De Mil was one of the top candidates who was spontaneously offered to us on Monday thanks to his agents. He was still working at another Belgian club.”
“One thing was paramount: immediate, correct and personal communication with Charleroi. It’s my dead body that we would work in the same way as they (Club Brugge, ed) do with us.”
“Under no circumstances would Rik start with us without the right communication at the right level and an agreement between the clubs. It’s about respect between clubs.”
“I would like to thank Mehdi Bayat (strong man at Charleroi) and Charleroi for the constructive consultation. I wish them good luck in the search for a new coach.”
ethics
“I think loyalty is very important, but in football there is a coming and going of players and coaches,” Sam Baro said later. “It is the way in which it is not deontologically correct.”
“Is something now broken with Club Brugge? “No,” says Sam Baro. “But I have expressed my problem with deontology.”
