By Jaroslaw Adamowski
April 25 – German investment group HFK is considering buying trouble Polish club Korona Kielce. The club is owned by the city of Kielce whose authorities are currently negotiating the potential sale.
“I have informed our partners on the troubled situation of the club in a detailed manner. They approached the issue with understanding, and they didn’t drop the talks,” the Mayor of Kielce Wojciech Lubawski told local daily Przeglad Sportowy. “The final decision will most likely be made this June, after the season is over.”
Speaking of the club’s troubles, the mayor made a reference to the recent dismissal of Korona’s chief executive Tomasz Chojnowski who was ousted amid accusations of mismanagement and embezzlement of funds at the club.
To investigate the matter, Lubawski has set up a special commission consisting of lawyers. Should the commission find the club’s chief executive guilty of the charges, local authorities have said they will notify the law enforcement authorities.
The city currently holds a 100% stake in Korona. From 2002 to 2008, the club was owned by Krzysztof Klicki, a local businessman and Korona’s current sponsor.
In the current season, Kielce will continue to support the club despite the ongoing talks. In its budget for 2014, the city allocated 7.8 million zloty (€1.9 million) to Korona.
Set up in 1973, Korona won its first promotion to the Ekstraklasa, which back then operated under the name of Pierwsza Liga, in 2005. Its stadium has a capacity of 15,550.
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