Genk (Brussels Morning Newspaper): Johnny Jaspers, honorary secretary, announced plans to appeal a lease termination and expressed hope due to discussions with a new investor. He also mentioned the €20 million transfer of Mike Penders from KRC Genk to Chelsea, emphasizing the importance of this football story continuing.
The city of Genk has ended its lease with the Bregel Sport football club, which was meant to help the club pay its VAT debts. Last year, the city took control of the club’s facilities and agreed with strict rules to improve its financial situation. These rules involved better financial management and changes to the club’s board to improve leadership.
Will Bregel Sport survive lease termination amid Penders’ €20M move?
The city council recently announced that Bregel Sport did not meet the conditions properly. Despite the support, the club failed to implement the required financial transparency and changes to the board. As a result, the city decided to end the lease agreement, concluding that the club did not focus on the necessary changes for its recovery.
The lease was supposed to last until the end of the season, but because there were problems with the agreement last year and this year, the court ended it, said Kathleen Partoens, Alderman for Sports (CD&V). She noted that rent still needs to be paid, there are unpaid VAT taxes, and the management has not changed as they asked. Partoens also mentioned that they will create a plan at the next council meeting to promote the complex, and Bregel can join in. However, the agreement said they would go to court if rent was not paid, and that’s what happened.
The honorary secretary announced plans to appeal the end of the lease agreement, expressing hope due to talks with a new investor. They are also waiting for compensation for Mike Penders, who is transferring from KRC Genk to Chelsea but played for the team for two years. He mentioned it would be sad if such a great football story ended here, and they would not accept that.
