“Verhaeghe is a serial entrepreneur who has achieved his goals.” Prof. sports economics Wim Lagae gives an explanation on the sale of Club Brugge
“This befits a serial entrepreneur”
Wim Lagae is professor of sports economics at KU Leuven. He explains why this is not entirely surprising to him: “Bart Verhaeghe is a serial entrepreneur. He is working on various projects at the same time and I think he has achieved his goals within Club Brugge And that he also feels that there is now a momentum to sell his share package with a lot of added value.”
“Financially this was a good season”
“In terms of sport, Club Brugge has had a very tough few months,” Lagae continues. “It didn’t work for a meter. But financially they have a wonderful financial year. And especially those 50 million extra from the Champions League make a difference in the annual accounts. It is actually a good time to put the club in the showcase.”
Then no club love?
And then a serial investor does not think about club love? “Well, that’s quite surprising,” says Lagae. “We had always credited Bart Verhaeghe with a lot of club love and a lot of involvement in the project. But now it turns out that he might choose eggs for his money and say: “I have achieved my goals, I will take on other projects.”
“Club no longer in Belgian hands, probably”
It remains very striking that Club Brugge is for sale. In recent years, the flag bearer of Belgian club football. And in Flemish hands. Lagae: “You can say – just like the Marc Coucke story at Anderlecht or Paul Gheysens at Antwerp, Ghent and Genk – that it seemed to be a Flemish-anchored club for years. Since this afternoon we know that this is not the case. perhaps a foreign candidate buyer will turn up.”
Another role for Verhaeghe and Mannaert?
“If the club, the majority shareholder package, were to be sold, it does not seem to me that there will still be a role for Bart Verhaeghe and Vincent Mannaert. Then it is up to the new, perhaps foreign, owners to roll out a strategy and make choices. to do,” concludes Lagae.