“Despite the promises made last week to management, players, staff and suppliers, the main shareholder, ACA Football Partners (ACAFP), has decided to stop all financing”we can read in the Deinze press release. The club is therefore for sale for a symbolic euro but the possible buyer will have to pay off debts of up to 6.5 million euros. “We regret this decision, which significantly weakens our position and places the club in an extremely difficult situation, requiring immediate measures to guarantee the functioning of KMSK Deinze.”
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Broken promises
CEO Akihisa Iizuka, the leading figure of ACA Football Partners, has resigned, as has Wouter Artz, who is leaving his role as director of the youth academy. However, Artz will remain involved as sporting director of the first team.
“We are currently going through a critical phase, but we are actively looking for solutions. Concrete discussions are underway with several potential investors, and the club is open to new candidates. We are doing everything possible to stabilize the club and guarantee its continuity. The next few weeks will be decisive for the future of KMSK Deinze.”
However, the club had obtained its license a few months ago for professional football. “Honestly, it’s a surprise”explained Pro League CEO Lorin Parys to Sporza, “especially because in the case of Deinze, guarantees had been given that they could invest 11 million euros if necessary.” It therefore seems that certain promises were not respected by the club’s Singaporean investors.
A ban on transfers already ordered
The club has been facing financial difficulties for several months. On Friday, the Licensing Commission of the Belgian Football Union (URBSFA) also imposed a temporary transfer ban on the club due to unpaid transfer amounts and late salaries.
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Concretely, the Licensing Commission found no proof of the payment of Laurent Lemoine’s salary nor of the transfer amounts for Zakaria Fdaouch and Thibaut Van Acker, which should have been paid at the end of August. In Van Acker’s case, his former club, SK Lierse, has already garnished a sum Deinze was to receive from Zulte Waregem. The club also forgot to make payments to URBSFA, as well as social security contributions and professional withholding taxes.
On October 20, the club will meet again with the licensing commission. If the club has not complied by then, a new sanction could come in the form of a withdrawal of points.
In recent seasons, the Deinze club has been ambitious. A few months ago, the Flandriens were still trying to climb into D1A during the play-offs which were ultimately won by Lommel.
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