Belgian business mogul new owner of RSC Anderlecht

The well-known Belgian billionaire Marc Coucke has been chosen by the board of RSC Anderlecht as the team’s new owner. In all the talk about the new owner over the last week, Coucke’s name ultimately emerged as a surprise.

Sports commentators had assumed that the competition to take over Belgium’s strongest football club was between media giant Wouter Vandenhaute and Paul Gheysens of construction and development firm Ghelamco, which built Ghent’s stadium. Coucke (pictured), who already owns KV Oostende, was a surprise bidder for Anderlecht.

The board announced that they hoped to complete negotiations for the handover by the end of the year. Coucke, the founder of Omega Pharma and with shares in a number of other concerns, will own 70% of Anderlecht shares.

Current owner and board chair Roger Vanden Stock inherited the club from his father, who bought it in 1971. “Just like my father, I was ready to pass the torch, and I wanted to be sure that Anderlecht was in good hands,” said Vanden Stock. “This means in the hands of people who love the club and that, above all, have a long-term vision and can provide stability.”

Photo: Kurt Desplenter/BELGA