Aalst (Brussels Morning) – The Turkish owners of Belgian club Eendracht Aalst are stepping down due to alleged unfair treatment and racism from the city of Aalst despite the club’s recent success.
The Belgian football club Eendracht Aalst is looking for a new group of people to run things because the current Turkish team that was in charge before has decided to step down. They shared this news on the club’s social media. The Turkish board started running the club in August 2023, but they faced a lot of problems during their time in charge. The board said they were treated unfairly because of their race by the city so they’re leaving.It has been said that this makes their decision even more serious and shows the tough times they had while in charge. They didn’t explain exactly what happened though.
What led the Turkish owners of Eendracht Aalst to step down amid claims of unfair treatment from the city?
The board of Eendracht Aalst said they are stepping down and looking for new owners for the club. They mentioned on social media that they are talking to potential buyers who are interested in taking over the club. So, after the Turkish investors took over in August 2023, the club had a tough time with lots of problems. The main team even had to be put under temporary control for a short while. But despite all this the board was able to fix things and get the club back on the right path. Because of more issues and unfair treatment from the city the board wants to find new owners. They’re talking to investors who care about the club and want to make sure it does well.
Eendracht Aalst won the Second National division championship but couldn’t get the license needed to move up. The board blames the city for not giving enough support. They’re upset because they think the club needs better backing from the city to succeed. So since they couldn’t get the license Eendracht Aalst will stay in the Second National division next season even though they won. This shows that in football just winning games isn’t always sufficient to move up. The board wants better management and support to help the club succeed more in the future.
What are the allegations made by the Turkish owners of Eendracht Aalst against the city of Aalst, and how has the city responded?
The Eendracht Aalst board which is owned by a Turkish group is saying that the Aalst city is doing sneaky things to harm the club. They’re claiming the city is spreading lies and bad stories about the club to ruin its reputation. The board thinks the city’s main aim is to stop the stadium project from happening. They say the city tried to make the construction company go bankrupt to stop the stadium plans which are crucial for the club’s future and meeting licensing rules. The club is also worried about the city using illegal workers. There was a police raid on the day of a match which made things even more tense between the club and the city. The board thinks this raid was part of the city’s plan to cause trouble for the club and harm its reputation. The board is really frustrated and wants better management and support to deal with these problems and be more successful in the future.
It is particularly painful that unjustified accusations are made
Christoph D’Haese (N-VA) mayor of Aalst
The city council said the racism accusations are not true. The mayor mentioned that foreign investors must follow the rules in Belgium and there were issues with the club not following these rules. The city council tried for months to help the club but couldn’t fix the problems. They ended the management agreement with the club for the stadium and youth complex because of serious issues within the club.
