As someone reminded me, on Thursday 17 February, 2011, Belgium made it into the Guinness Book of Records as the country having spent the longest time without a government: 222 days. Sadly, the ability not to come to a decision is spreading.
As described earlier, the big clubs had pushed through a reform of the championship to ensure they had more games between themselves and hence greater TV revenues. It had worked, as Belgacom TV (together with RTBF and VRT) agreed to pay €45 million per year for three years – a 25% increase on the previous deal. The agreement between all first division clubs was to see how it went for those three years and then review the situation.
Then, on December 10, 2010, the Jupiler League 16 clubs met and voted to return to the classic championship with 18 teams and no playoffs. The voting was four votes against (the G4: Anderlecht, Genk, Ghent and Club Brugge) and 12 for (Standard Liege and the “small” clubs, the so-called G11). And that, people thought – somewhat surprisingly – was that!
But no, it appears that the vote was not definitive and, since then, there has been a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes, or as Charleroi’s Abbas Bayat says “lobbying”. Standard Liege’s Luciano D’Onofrio accused a G11 spokesman, Westerlo’s Herman Wijnantsing, as a treacherous “bandit”. For that is another twist in this tale, Standard Liege have sided against the G4; “Les Rouches” have long wanted to have their own individual deal on television rights. They are in the unique position of being the only successful club in Wallonia – the French speaking region – and unless Charleroi continue their recent form, they could be the only club from Wallonia in the Jupiler League
Money of course is at the bottom of this stalemate; the G4 love the current playoff system – which lasts forever (six weeks, 30 games in the “Playoffs 1!). Even so, it was a surprise when the December vote was for a return to the system of 18 clubs with no playoffs. It’s hard to say why the G11 decided to rock the boat so soon, but maybe they just wanted to be heard.
So, it was time for more meetings. After one such session, Anderlecht’s Herman Van Holsbeeck said the G4 and G11 could not agree, even though several propositions had been put on the table. It was, he said, a “total impasse”. But there have been other murmurings; during the January transfer window, several players moved from G4 clubs to G11 clubs on loan and media rumours were rife that these were sweeteners to get the votes changed. It is certainly true that Anderlecht loaned out Pablo Chavarria to Eupen, Nemanja Rnic and Junior Kabananga to Germinal Beerschot and Victor Bernardez to Lierse. Whether these moves were linked to any other agreements, it is impossible to say. Genk, for example, also sold Kenny Thompson to Lierse in the recent transfer window.
And so it went on, until this week. The Belgian press reported that several of the G11 clubs had had an informal meeting with the G4, at which certain agreements were reached; mainly concerned with clubs reaching the “Playoffs 1” giving financial help to those that do not and a “parachute” payment going to the club being relegated to the second division. Standard Liege and Charleroi were not invited and Sint Truiden heard about the meeting too late. Hearing about these “agreements”, several clubs agreed to meet the next day, with sessions in separate rooms.
This time Charleroi President Abbas Bayat was present but he is said to have left after half an hour, crying foul. He later told www.7sur7.be that Anderlecht had “seven clubs in its pocket” and that “the G4 is destroying (Belgian) football”. Bayat added that if Anderlecht felt it had to destroy other clubs in order to play in the Champions League, there was nothing he could do.
But the sting is in the tale. The press this morning, notably Le Soir, claimed that there was a serious possibility that relegation to the second division, as of 2011-2012 would be based on performance over three seasons! This proposition has come from one of the G11, Lokeren, and it may be that the G4 nods it through in order to get agreement on bigger issues.
The final meeting of Jupiler Pro League committee – if there ever is a final one – is tomorrow (Friday 25th February). Most observers feel that the G4 have done enough to have the December decision reversed and that next season will see a league of 16 clubs with playoffs. It has been leaked however that the clubs going into the “Playoffs 1” will not have their points – gained in the classic championship – halved, as is current practice.
Following the various leaks, Standard Liege’s Director General Pierre François said he was surprised that his club had not been invited to the recent series of meetings. He added that the idea of relegation being decided based on the results of the three previous years was “absurd”. However, he added that Standard Liege would abide by Friday’s vote of the council, where a two-thirds majority is needed. So expect the 16 club league to be retained together with a slightly modified formula; but don’t ask how relegation will work! Now if we could only get Herman Van Holsbeeck into politics, there would be some progress.