LONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Businessman Roland Duchatelet, one of the richest men in Belgium, became the new owner of Championship club Charlton Athletic on Friday. The 67-year-old's company, Staprix NV, will acquire 100 percent of the shares of outgoing owner Tony Jimenez who confirmed the takeover in a media statement."We are pleased to confirm that Roland Duchatelet is the new owner of the club. "The sale was formally completed today .. nearly three years to the day since we took control of CAFC (Charlton Athletic Football Club). The time has come for us to step aside." Charlton, based in south-east London, have had two spells in the Premier League, the last which ended in 2007. They are currently 19th in the 24-team second tier, three places and three points above the relegation zone. Duchatelet is involved in politics in Belgium and is also the owner of Standard Liege. No sale figure was released to the media.
Probably poorly worded reporting but from that report some of the Club is still owned by others eg RM's 10% and Slater's share?
If this takeover doesn't work out exactly as plenty on here hope / expect this place will be hilarious
Why?
Just like the previous takeover, we are grateful it happened. Just because later on it was generally felt that the owners were running the club into the ground and that they needed to go for the sake of our club, it doesnt mean we should rewrite history and pretend we didnt want them in the first place.
Hopefully that wont happen again, but as before, at this moment in time, I am glad the takeover has gone through.
Rudy Nuyens, talkSPORT's man in Belgium, joins Hawksbee and Jacobs to tell them all about new Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet.
The Belgian businessman, who made his fortune in electronics, completed his buy-out of the Championship side on Friday.
Duchatelet owns a number of clubs across Europe, including Belgium Pro League side Standard Liege, and Nuyens has warned Charlton fans to be wary of the 67-year-old.
"Former coaches tell incredible stories about his football knowledge," he said. "Everybody that has worked with him says he might be a big man in business but he doesn't know anything about football!"
While the majority of fans have welcomed the takeover and new owner for CAFC it's perhaps a sign of the low regard the JH/MS/KC regime that the response has been so positive.
While "actions will speak louder than words" I do have some reservations about the new ownership. Time will tell how good an owner Roland will be but let's not be too optimistic yet ...
From what has been written here and from other sources on the web it seems clear to me that our new owner is not "a football man" but simply an invested looking to make a "turn" on his investment (muck like the previous owners). He is unlikely to have the long-term interest of the club as his priority - rather how he can monetise his investments in football. You can argue he sees football clubs in general (not just Charlton but his host of clubs in his stable) as assets that he can extract greater value from than they currently return - otherwise why invest millions of euros in these ventures? He can't play the card that as a kid he used to follow the Addicks with his old man standing on the east terrace and now after a successful business career wants to put something back!
As one example just look at the first club in Belgium he owned: it has been widely reported that while nominally having relinquished control he still pulls the strings and his girlfriend now owns the ground and the club pays her a reported annual rent of several hundred thousand euros. I hope this is wrong but as I understand it they have gone from a club with no debt and owning their own ground to one with debts, a proxy ownership and paying an inflated rent to play on their own pitch.
From what I can see or read he's not universally loved by Standard liege fans either.
I hope it doesn't happen but a similar scenario could play out at the Valley. Roland sells the ground to another company he owns and charges the club an annual rent to play there - while CAFC still pick up all the costs of running the facility. This way he can extract a seven figure from the club .... And I am sure there are other clever financial engineering that could be deployed. Cleverer people than me I'm sure will have a hat full of ideas on what could be done.
Of course the best hope is that the footballing interest of the club will be aligned with a best financial return for our new owner: invest substantially in the football side, boost revenues by getting promoted and join the Premier league gravy train ..... But does he have the financial resources to really mAke that happen?
The first big test will be the transfer window. Does he give SCP the resources he wants? Or does he palm off on the club the payers he wants (rather than what SCP needs?). Signs are not promising but I do appreciate this is very early days.
Anyway let's all hope that this scenario is not played out and that I am just being a Jonna but I am still to be convinced this is a fairly tale ending we all want to see. It may be just more of the same ... Let's hope I am wrong!
Best post so far.
The Belgian owns five clubs that he wants to run on a commercial basis. That means profit which we all know is not possible in English football if you want on the field success too. When losses come he wont be able to fund them himself, as he has five clubs to run, so other than selling assets (players and fixed assets), where will the bail out come from?
Could be exciting times ahead or could be the greatest battle yet for the Valley and the club.
Success actually can bring profit - If Fulham can be sold for £300m, so can Charlton. I assume that is his aim, but if it is - what is wrong with that from our perspective!!!!
How much did Al Fayed spend though to ensure that Fulham become a club worth 300m?
While the majority of fans have welcomed the takeover and new owner for CAFC it's perhaps a sign of the low regard the JH/MS/KC regime that the response has been so positive.
While "actions will speak louder than words" I do have some reservations about the new ownership. Time will tell how good an owner Roland will be but let's not be too optimistic yet ...
From what has been written here and from other sources on the web it seems clear to me that our new owner is not "a football man" but simply an invested looking to make a "turn" on his investment (muck like the previous owners). He is unlikely to have the long-term interest of the club as his priority - rather how he can monetise his investments in football. You can argue he sees football clubs in general (not just Charlton but his host of clubs in his stable) as assets that he can extract greater value from than they currently return - otherwise why invest millions of euros in these ventures? He can't play the card that as a kid he used to follow the Addicks with his old man standing on the east terrace and now after a successful business career wants to put something back!
As one example just look at the first club in Belgium he owned: it has been widely reported that while nominally having relinquished control he still pulls the strings and his girlfriend now owns the ground and the club pays her a reported annual rent of several hundred thousand euros. I hope this is wrong but as I understand it they have gone from a club with no debt and owning their own ground to one with debts, a proxy ownership and paying an inflated rent to play on their own pitch.
From what I can see or read he's not universally loved by Standard liege fans either.
I hope it doesn't happen but a similar scenario could play out at the Valley. Roland sells the ground to another company he owns and charges the club an annual rent to play there - while CAFC still pick up all the costs of running the facility. This way he can extract a seven figure from the club .... And I am sure there are other clever financial engineering that could be deployed. Cleverer people than me I'm sure will have a hat full of ideas on what could be done.
Of course the best hope is that the footballing interest of the club will be aligned with a best financial return for our new owner: invest substantially in the football side, boost revenues by getting promoted and join the Premier league gravy train ..... But does he have the financial resources to really mAke that happen?
The first big test will be the transfer window. Does he give SCP the resources he wants? Or does he palm off on the club the payers he wants (rather than what SCP needs?). Signs are not promising but I do appreciate this is very early days.
Anyway let's all hope that this scenario is not played out and that I am just being a Jonna but I am still to be convinced this is a fairly tale ending we all want to see. It may be just more of the same ... Let's hope I am wrong!
Best post so far.
The Belgian owns five clubs that he wants to run on a commercial basis. That means profit which we all know is not possible in English football if you want on the field success too. When losses come he wont be able to fund them himself, as he has five clubs to run, so other than selling assets (players and fixed assets), where will the bail out come from?
Could be exciting times ahead or could be the greatest battle yet for the Valley and the club.
I think this is a risk we had to take. We were probably going to go into administration had TJ & MS waited any longer for a buyer. As it stands we have secured the short term future of this club with regards to players getting paid on time, potential new contracts for Powell & the current playing squad. We've even got a new face to add to the squad. Lots of mixed reviews/opinions about RD, his record, his motives. As pointed out above, outside of the Champions League, football clubs find it very hard to make money, I hope RD is aware of this and recognises this won't be a quick fix. We're a different proposition to any of the 5 other clubs he owns.
I am happy that what could've been a financial precipice has been avoided, and hope this puts a bit of positivity in everyone's step for the remainder of the season.
I don't see the problem really. So what if this guy only buys clubs with the intention of then selling them on for a profit. Right now he could well be the bloke who's saved us from relegation back to league one. He's been here 5 minutes and we already have a new loan signing. That wasn't going to happen if he hadn't bought us.
If in 2/3/4 years time he is able to sell us at a profit that would surely mean we've improved on and off the pitch and we'd be in better shape.
We won't be able to loan in Standard Liege's entire reserve team a la Watford and Udinese. The Football League have (rightly) since tightened the rules on that kind of behaviour.
Rudy Nuyens, talkSPORT's man in Belgium, joins Hawksbee and Jacobs to tell them all about new Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet.
The Belgian businessman, who made his fortune in electronics, completed his buy-out of the Championship side on Friday.
Duchatelet owns a number of clubs across Europe, including Belgium Pro League side Standard Liege, and Nuyens has warned Charlton fans to be wary of the 67-year-old.
"Former coaches tell incredible stories about his football knowledge," he said. "Everybody that has worked with him says he might be a big man in business but he doesn't know anything about football!"
Football people always say that about chairmen though don't they. If you haven't played pro you know feck all. Well I doubt he knows that much about micro electronics but his businesses do well it seems.
Can't we just wait and see before oceans of negativity.
Slater's statement is wrong In one important respect - they have wrecked the non-football staff and that will need to be addressed. Removing Prothero was the essential first step. Now they need to appoint a chief executive who isn't Steve Bradshaw to pick up the pieces.
I think that will be the essential step to repairing the non-footballing side. The stories about his management are pretty unbelievable and anyone who has heard some of the them will know that we don't want him connected to our club.
We won't be able to loan in Standard Liege's entire reserve team a la Watford and Udinese. The Football League have (rightly) since tightened the rules on that kind of behaviour.
Another perspective on the deal! Jimenez gives his side of the story. It's been a terrible burden being the steward and custodian for Charlton but he's passed the baton to someone who'll carry the torch onwards.....
Maybe not the way everyone on this message board might see it ....
We won't be able to loan in Standard Liege's entire reserve team a la Watford and Udinese. The Football League have (rightly) since tightened the rules on that kind of behaviour.
We won't be able to loan in Standard Liege's entire reserve team a la Watford and Udinese. The Football League have (rightly) since tightened the rules on that kind of behaviour.
Not sure we would want to loan their entire reserve team! As for Al Fayed- Fulham are a poor Premiership side with a decent chance of being relegated- they have an outdated ground - but are a London side in an affluent area. If they can be sold for a lot of money - a successful Charlton can too. What other draw is there for buying us - TJ spotted the opportunity, but it was scuppered when KC withdrew his support - The only way it is worthwhile buying us, is to get us promoted - if it costs say another £30million, it isn't too high a price if there is potential to multiply your money tenfold. If it pays off, we should be happy because it will mean success for the club we support.
Another perspective on the deal! Jimenez gives his side of the story. It's been a terrible burden being the steward and custodian for Charlton but he's passed the baton to someone who'll carry the torch onwards.....
Maybe not the way everyone on this message board might see it ....
TJ and MS were given time to be judged by their actions and from the start they got it right, towards then end there were issues I was very unhappy with, mainly long serving employees in high numbers leaving, some people who don't really post on here but with connections to cafc and long term proper Charlton fans indicating on the way to brum that there was some very odd and uneasy dealings going on and lots of worrying comments there was a lack of investment and numerous important individuals not being signed up on contracts
then I started to question the owners and their intentions and where the money was going to come from
RD deserves the time to be judged on what he does at cafc not what he has done elsewhere
and I am a very big SCP fan I genuinely believe he is the man to take us forward and if given the backing he deserves he is the man who will grow in stature at the same speed and time that our club can with good management of the football club itself
however if RD chose that he didn't feel that was the case I would not automatically say that the man was wrong or is wrong he would need to be still judged on that decision longer term
lets see how it pans out before hysteria takes over
we are now not in danger of admin we are not in danger of a points deduction we are in a better position today than yesterday to still be in the championship not the 3rd division
enjoy that fact before you try to uncover The Evil Dr No Roland Duchalet
The new owner isn't the Charlton fanatic multi-billionaire we may ideally have wished for, but he has put his money on the table and he has zero to gain from continuing the long attritional financial winter endured in the last 18 months or so. He just has to invest in order to get any kind of return. That has to be much, much better than the existing continued decay in the squad, stadium and pitch and what felt like an inevitable slow slide to administration and league 1.
As far as CL is concerned, can't help feeling that Do-talk-alotof-shit will fit in just fine with us on here (joke!)
Very pleased that Richard Murray becomes Chairman, but as a non-executive there will have to be a very good Chief Executive to sort out all the off the field issues.
Looking forward to developments with keen interest.
Another perspective on the deal! Jimenez gives his side of the story. It's been a terrible burden being the steward and custodian for Charlton but he's passed the baton to someone who'll carry the torch onwards.....
Maybe not the way everyone on this message board might see it ....
And so the re-writing of history begins.
Gee, thanks Tony. It's a pity you never said a dicky bird in the 3 years you owned Charlton.
Mind you, you sound a wonderful bloke, so well done you. :-)
Comments
Just like the previous takeover, we are grateful it happened.
Just because later on it was generally felt that the owners were running the club into the ground and that they needed to go for the sake of our club, it doesnt mean we should rewrite history and pretend we didnt want them in the first place.
Hopefully that wont happen again, but as before, at this moment in time, I am glad the takeover has gone through.
The Belgian businessman, who made his fortune in electronics, completed his buy-out of the Championship side on Friday.
Duchatelet owns a number of clubs across Europe, including Belgium Pro League side Standard Liege, and Nuyens has warned Charlton fans to be wary of the 67-year-old.
"Former coaches tell incredible stories about his football knowledge," he said. "Everybody that has worked with him says he might be a big man in business but he doesn't know anything about football!"
How much did Al Fayed spend though to ensure that Fulham become a club worth 300m?
I am happy that what could've been a financial precipice has been avoided, and hope this puts a bit of positivity in everyone's step for the remainder of the season.
If in 2/3/4 years time he is able to sell us at a profit that would surely mean we've improved on and off the pitch and we'd be in better shape.
theguardian.com/football/2013/jun/07/watford-foreign-loans-loophole
nice graphic provided by STIG
Can't we just wait and see before oceans of negativity.
That's ok, we're allowed 4. that'll do.
Talk Sport interview backs up concerns I flagged in my earlier post
forum.charltonlife.com/discussion/58778/belgium-football-fans-welgekomen-a-charlton-kan-je-mij-helpen#latest
Tin Tin is our leader
La la la la
La la la la
Another perspective on the deal! Jimenez gives his side of the story. It's been a terrible burden being the steward and custodian for Charlton but he's passed the baton to someone who'll carry the torch onwards.....
Maybe not the way everyone on this message board might see it ....
there was a lack of investment and numerous important individuals not being signed up on contracts
then I started to question the owners and their intentions and where the money was going to come from
RD deserves the time to be judged on what he does at cafc not what he has done elsewhere
and I am a very big SCP fan I genuinely believe he is the man to take us forward and if given the backing he deserves he is the man who will grow in stature at the same speed and time that our club can with good management of the football club itself
however if RD chose that he didn't feel that was the case I would not automatically say that the man was wrong or is wrong he would need to be still judged on that decision longer term
lets see how it pans out before hysteria takes over
we are now not in danger of admin we are not in danger of a points deduction we are in a better position today than yesterday to still be in the championship not the 3rd division
enjoy that fact before you try to uncover The Evil Dr No Roland Duchalet
Feelings: relief, joy, hope, anticipation, excitement, impatience, trepidation.
The new owner isn't the Charlton fanatic multi-billionaire we may ideally have wished for, but he has put his money on the table and he has zero to gain from continuing the long attritional financial winter endured in the last 18 months or so. He just has to invest in order to get any kind of return. That has to be much, much better than the existing continued decay in the squad, stadium and pitch and what felt like an inevitable slow slide to administration and league 1.
As far as CL is concerned, can't help feeling that Do-talk-alotof-shit will fit in just fine with us on here (joke!)
Very pleased that Richard Murray becomes Chairman, but as a non-executive there will have to be a very good Chief Executive to sort out all the off the field issues.
Looking forward to developments with keen interest.
Mind you, you sound a wonderful bloke, so well done you. :-)