November 7 – After three months, CEO Thorsten Theys has departed top tier Belgian club Beerschot, local media report.
In July, he succeeded Frédéric Van den Steen, who departed for OH Leuven, owned by King Power.
Previously a consultant at Beerschot, Theys struggled to get the club back on the rails. After returning to the top flight from the second division, the Antwerp-based club have been rooted to the bottom of the table this season and seem condemned to relegation after garnering just six points from 13 matches.
The disappointing results led to fan protests in the city derby, leading to a postponement of the match when Beerschot were trailing Antwerp 4-0 in the second half. On the sidelines, Beerschot have also been in lawsuits against companies owned by a former minority shareholder.
Fans repeatedly called for the exit of manager Dirk Kuyt, the former Liverpool player, Theys and the owner. Beerschot are part of the United World holding, which is owned by Saudi Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad Al Saud. Sheffield United, Kerala United and Al Hilal United are the other clubs in the portfolio of United World.
Theys’s arrival had not been without controversy either. At KV Oostende, he was both COO and CFO following the takeover by the American Pacific Media Group, but in 2023, Theys was suspended by the club. The American investment group departed Oostende and left the club bankrupt. Theys was recently questioned by the federal police in a fraud investigation into Oostende.
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