It’s the end for Deinze, who will see the players from his first team gradually leave for other clubs. This is already the case for Lennart Mertens, even though he is called “Mister Deinze”.
Deinze’s situation is dramatic. On the brink of collapse, the Dutch-speaking club was given a final deadline of two weeks to resolve its financial problems. The possibilities of seeing him raise his head above water, however, are infinitely slim.
Last weekend, the current ninth in the Challenger Pro League played with his junior team during their 0-3 defeat against the Francs-Borains, who then occupied last place in the standings.
During this two-week period, Deinze will still have to face RFC Liège and RFC Seraing, two teams who need points to ensure their survival in the professional world. The two Liège teams should be able to get through this without too much trouble, which is already making the competitors cringe (read here).
The misfortune of some makes the happiness of others: who will be able to benefit from that of Deinze?
Among the players under contract, who have not been paid for months, the time is obviously to look for a new employer as quickly as possible. Having become free, some represent very good opportunities for D1B training.
The first to announce his departure is the strong man. “Mister Deinze”, alias Lennart Mertens (more than 100 goals for the club in 219 matches), announced Tuesday evening in a Facebook post that he was leaving the East Flanders club. The 32-year-old striker bounces to a rival club, SK Beveren.
The players released by Deinze represent serious opportunities, especially for teams at the bottom of the table, who could welcome a major reinforcement for free in the middle of the season. Distorted championship, you say?
