" They dream that in my position, in that chair, one is hands-on, so to speak. They can absolutely not understand that if I am sitting in that chair that I am not “doing”. They really cannot grasp that, for them it’s incomprehensible."
On other words, Charlton fans are so stupid that they think I don't have other things to do. No, Roland, we know you have a business empire and a failed political career as well as a handful of football clubs. We could not care less if you never gave us a thought again. But if you really can't be bothered to show an interest, at least stop letting idiots like Meire, Driesen etc etc make decisions and appoint some credible and talented people to run your afterthought.
Or even better, sell it and never have to worry about your lunch being ruined or your neighbours being upset again.
Thanks to @The_President for sourcing this. RD was on Belgian Sportcafe TV programme after STVV lost 3-0 to Genk at the weekend and touched on Charlton.
This is the link, with relevant bit (in his garbled Flemish) from 19.08 - still worth a look for the animation and body language of the other guests towards him.
Here's my bash at a translation- a bit rough in places as he can be quite difficult to make out:
Host: Do you still get any football pleasure from Charlton Athletic?
RD: Yes, err. In general, it is not so easy in that place and also not nice. The big challenge in football is communication as Patrick just said [Patrick Janssens, another former politician and MD of Genk, who had just talked eloquently about things he did to build relationship between club and fans and improve atmosphere at stadium] and we have tried very hard to communicate there. Sometimes there are nevertheless elements who make sure that it becomes very. very difficult, that if mistakes are made that the consequences are much more dramatic than they should be. With football it’s not so easy. Everything is blown out of proportion, problems found that aren’t problems.
Host: Why don’t you give it up like you did at Standard?
[RD gets defensive and says that wasn’t the reason, he wanted out of Belgium football, then goes on about why he bought STVV – Bert Lammens wanted out, but there was no buyer, he was the buyer of last resort, put Mareike in as president.]
RD: Actually, for me, and it’s difficult to explain to supporters, football has never been my most prominent activity. And it’s still not today, it is a sideline. And people, particularly the people of Charlton, cannot understand that at all. They dream that in my position, in that chair, one is hands-on, so to speak. They can absolutely not understand that if I am sitting in that chair that I am not “doing”. They really cannot grasp that, for them it’s incomprehensible.
I limit myself to giving money, but they believe I should be occupied day and night with it.
I think that is the problem of networks because the fans want to think their club is the best in the world and that someone who is the boss must put 200% of their time into that club or he is never going to be a good boss.
Host: There’s something beautiful about that, of course?
RD: Of course. And I respect people who are busy with it day and night, like most of my colleagues in Belgium, by the way, who are busy day and night, but that is not my life. And actually for me that’s a kind of "mismatch"…that’s why I’m not the president [here at STVV], a conscious decision, because I don’t have the time for it day and night.
No, no, no - you all see it wrong. It's not his fault for buying the wrong club - it's our fault for allowing ourselves to be bought by the wrong owner.
He is such an arrogant smug bastard. The reason he can afford to be like that is because of the obscene amounts of money his business empire is worth. I would love it if Staprix and Baton and his other businesses went tits up forcing him back to the real world. Then hopefully he would have to sell Charlton for a realistic price and take that dopey bint with him and fcuk off
If RD is genuinely as blind to the situation at Charlton as he paints in his media statements, heaven help us! More likely it is a convenient face-saving line to peddle to those in Belgium who will be largely ignorant of the true situation.
I hope there are those amongst us with the necessary skills to inform more of the Belgian media (interviewers, reporters, Sport pundits, etc. of the Charlton fans' side of things, so they at least have the ammunition to challenge his statements. Whether or not they choose to fire it is of course beyond all our controls! We have made some progress with that in the UK, making it more chancy for KM to rely on getting an easy ride in interviews.
A mismatch! It's a damn cheek that our fabulously wealthy owner lands us with hopelessly incompetent managers and turkeys for players – and then says Charlton are almost insignificant to his concerns.
Here's a mismatch – Ten years ago we were in the Prem. Four years ago we were in the Championship and finished just outside the play-offs. Enter Duchatelet: relegation last year, and this season struggled against the drop to the fourth division.
Duchatelet has a personal fortune of at least £350 million. The 'mismatch' is when we are routinely walked over and taken apart by the likes of AFC Wimbledon, Peterborough and MK Dons.
Mismatch as in he misses every match because he's never at the Valley and he likes to sit in a restaurant instead of being glued to his 'live stream' which I think is actually more likely to mean he's gone fishing than he's watching Charlton. Mr. Missmatch indeed.
The man has no desire to turn us into a successful part of his business network?? MAD or what, if he wanted to turn us around I am up for being CEO; I do budgets run a business which is growing and will turn over 15.1 million this year unfortunately it is no my money so I can't buy...
Oh ffffs I'm a shit drinker , Belgian beer is strong , the wife and kids gets the hump when i clear off for the weekend but he's gonna need another visit fffs
" They dream that in my position, in that chair, one is hands-on, so to speak. They can absolutely not understand that if I am sitting in that chair that I am not “doing”. They really cannot grasp that, for them it’s incomprehensible."
On other words, Charlton fans are so stupid that they think I don't have other things to do. No, Roland, we know you have a business empire and a failed political career as well as a handful of football clubs. We could not care less if you never gave us a thought again. But if you really can't be bothered to show an interest, at least stop letting idiots like Meire, Driesen etc etc make decisions and appoint some credible and talented people to run your afterthought.
Or even better, sell it and never have to worry about your lunch being ruined or your neighbours being upset again.
I want Roland to read that.
He would have no valid response comeback other then visibly storming off if that was said to him in person.
Comments
The Academy is his real geniune interest.
The first team are just a conduit for The Academy.
The first team having to be competitive is a major pain for RD.
It's also commonly referred to as being 'f*****g thick'!
On other words, Charlton fans are so stupid that they think I don't have other things to do. No, Roland, we know you have a business empire and a failed political career as well as a handful of football clubs. We could not care less if you never gave us a thought again. But if you really can't be bothered to show an interest, at least stop letting idiots like Meire, Driesen etc etc make decisions and appoint some credible and talented people to run your afterthought.
Or even better, sell it and never have to worry about your lunch being ruined or your neighbours being upset again.
Charlton Football Club is a huge part of my, and thousands of others, lives. Stop treating it as an irrelevance. Step away Roland, step away now.
And then intimates that he doesn't really have time for football.
The man oozes verbal bollocks.
And I don't care if there is a language barrier.
Just piss off.
Especially that Weegie
No, no, no - you all see it wrong. It's not his fault for buying the wrong club - it's our fault for allowing ourselves to be bought by the wrong owner.
Oh well back to my close season time out. Someone send me a pm please if the deluded old fool does the decent thing before August.
The reason he can afford to be like that is because of the obscene amounts of money his business empire is worth.
I would love it if Staprix and Baton and his other businesses went tits up forcing him back to the real world.
Then hopefully he would have to sell Charlton for a realistic price and take that dopey bint with him and fcuk off
That type of manager is also known as a twat if you please
If RD is genuinely as blind to the situation at Charlton as he paints in his media statements, heaven help us! More likely it is a convenient face-saving line to peddle to those in Belgium who will be largely ignorant of the true situation.
I hope there are those amongst us with the necessary skills to inform more of the Belgian media (interviewers, reporters, Sport pundits, etc. of the Charlton fans' side of things, so they at least have the ammunition to challenge his statements. Whether or not they choose to fire it is of course beyond all our controls! We have made some progress with that in the UK, making it more chancy for KM to rely on getting an easy ride in interviews.
Here's a mismatch – Ten years ago we were in the Prem. Four years ago we were in the Championship and finished just outside the play-offs. Enter Duchatelet: relegation last year, and this season struggled against the drop to the fourth division.
Duchatelet has a personal fortune of at least £350 million. The 'mismatch' is when we are routinely walked over and taken apart by the likes of AFC Wimbledon, Peterborough and MK Dons.
But I wish I hadn't read it.
What a complete cockwomble.
Not for money, not for enjoyment, not for adulation from the fans. What on earth is it all for?
Just sell and leave us to it.
Mr. Missmatch indeed.
He would have no valid response comeback other then visibly storming off if that was said to him in person.
Such a strange man.