Striking scene on Sunday in the renovated stand 2 of the Bosuil. During the match against Charleroi, the hard core of Antwerp FC suddenly took out several banners calling for the departure of president Paul Gheysens. Is the end of his era in sight?
The Great Old has had some extremely successful years. However, the traditional club languished in the second division for years and barely kept its head above water financially. But the turnaround started when businessman Paul Gheysens decided to put his shoulders (read: portfolio) behind the number one.
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From hell to heaven and back
At first he did this in secret. After promotion to the Jupiler Pro League, the Ghelamco client also came to the fore as a strong man. Thanks to the expert help of first Luciano D’Onofrio and then Marc Overmars, combined with his financial contribution, he also built Antwerp into a success story.
With Gheysens as chairman, the club won, among other things, the national title and two cups. The facilities and framework were also professionalized. There was a real price tag for that. For a long time, these costs were largely borne by the chairman himself. But that was not viable in the long term, and Gheysens himself also suffered some business and financial setbacks.
Takeover blocked
During the past two seasons, savings had to be made mainly. Which of course had an impact on the sporting performance. This state of affairs is also starting to cause annoyance among supporters. Especially because subscription prices only continue to rise despite a declining level of selection and more limited ambitions. Moreover, people demand clarity about Gheysens’ longer-term plans.
On Sunday there were even open demands for his departure. Whether this will happen remains to be seen for the time being. According to Gazette of Antwerp it is now clear that Antwerp can only maintain its status as a top club if fresh capital follows. But for this they seem to be mainly looking for an additional investor. A total takeover of the club by new owners has so far been blocked by Gheysens.
Need for open communication
However, there were already concrete negotiations about this earlier, which ultimately yielded nothing. It is doubtful whether the increasingly emphatic protests will change the businessman’s mind. In any case, Gheysens would still show quite a lot of involvement behind the scenes. But it might not be a bad thing to openly express his commitment. Without making false promises, another reproach to his address.
