Things are going from bad to worse with Standard. The players were told this morning that it is not certain whether they will still be paid this season. A new transfer ban beckons and that does not bode well with a view to the license. Ivan Leko: “We are all worried.”
Earlier this week it was announced that 777 Partners, the American investment company that owns Standard, is involved in numerous lawsuits in the United States and now also in Belgium. The Liège club has still not been able to pay players’ wages for April, but the situation seems to be even worse.
TD Fergal Harkin addressed the selection this morning. The players were told that the financial situation is very alarming and that it is uncertain whether wages for this season can still be paid. One hopes that it will succeed, but no guarantees can be given. It has also been said that a new (and temporary) transfer ban is on its way.
There is therefore a lot of uncertainty among the players and staff. Moreover, it is not a good signal with a view to the professional license for next season. Let’s wait and see if an answer comes from Miami, home of 777 Partners.
Leko: “Everyone is worried”
In the run-up to Friday’s Europe Play-off match against Westerlo, coach Ivan Leko was asked about the situation. “We try to concentrate on the match, but that’s not easy because we can’t lie to ourselves. The players, the staff, everyone who works at the club are concerned. For us – players and coaches – it is not that bad to be paid one or two months late. We have food on our plate. But for all the people who work in the shadows, the situation is much more difficult. The worst part is that no one knows when they will get paid. That is why we ask for clarity.”
We are all sad right now. People arrive here in the morning with their heads bowed.
Standard coach Ivan Leko
Leko indicates that this has an impact on his dressing room. “Good football, fun, tactics that work all comes from everyone being happy. But right now we are all sad. People arrive here in the morning with their heads bowed. Not knowing what’s going to happen. And a small rumor can quickly turn into something big. We want to know what’s going to happen. For our future, and our ambitions.”
Leko also talks about his own future. “I’m worried, yes. I came to Standard to play play-off 1. And to go to Europe. But had I known that we would be fighting not to be relegated and to fight for a place in play-off 2, I would not have signed here. As a coach you want to bring the best football to the mat. But this is about politics. There are players playing due to a transfer, or for other reasons. No, no one told me how to play. But I know the situation and have to think in terms of next season.”
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