Ostend (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): KV Oostende went bankrupt in June 2024 prompting the city to take control of the stadium and establish KV Diksmuide-Oostende while Marc Coucke seeks a stadium evaluation amid lease disputes.
KV Oostende a soccer team from Belgium went bankrupt in early June 2024 because they had money problems for a long time. This caused big issues especially with the new stadium stand that was built when Marc Coucke was the club president. The new stand was part of making the stadium better for fans but when the team went bankrupt it messed up the plans. It has been said that it’s unsure what will happen with the stand and other stadium improvements because of the club’s money troubles.
What are the implications of KV Oostende’s bankruptcy for local football and the future of the stadium?
After KV Oostende went bankrupt the city of Ostend took control of the stadium and the new stand. They ended the agreement with Marc Coucke’s company who helped build the stand and now the city owns the stadium, including the new stand. After the city took over the stadium they decided that a new football club KV Diksmuide-Oostende will play there. This club was created to keep the football tradition alive in the area and make use of the stadium’s facilities. This way the stadium will still be a key place for local football.
After the city of Ostend took back the stadium from Marc Coucke he disagreed with their decision. He wanted an expert to check and record the stadium’s condition including the new stand. This was to sort out any arguments about the stadium’s state and the lease termination. The person in charge of handling KV Oostende’s bankruptcy didn’t allow the evaluation Marc Coucke wanted. This makes it harder for Coucke to get an official assessment which could affect talks or legal matters about ending the lease and using the stadium in the future.
Marc Coucke tried to make the expert evaluation of the stadium happen quickly in court to settle the disagreement about the lease and stadium condition. But the first court in Bruges said it couldn’t decide on the case. Now the issue is sent to the Ghent Commercial Court in Bruges for a decision. Now, the court in Ghent will take care of the situation. They will look at the request for the evaluation of the stadium and decide on its condition and any arguments about the lease ending.
