February 14 – Last year, Belgian clubs registered combined post-tax losses of €160 million with Walloon giant Standard Liege showing the largest operational loss.
The Pro League’s annual financial report has once again exposed the financial woes of Belgian football. While the €160 million loss is an improvement from a staggering €193 million deficit in 2023, the financial management at a lot of clubs remains problematic.
Standard Liège is the club with the highest losses. With a deficit of approximately €25.6 million, Standard’s total debt has surged to €59 million. Last autumn, American owners 777 Partners departed the club, but Standard has struggled to find new investors.
RWDM, owned by John Textor, and Westerlo, owned by Turkish businessman Oktay Ercan, reported significant losses of €22.9 million and €21 million. Even KRC Genk, traditionally known for its prudent financial management, faced an unusual deficit of €14.6 million. The club settled a dispute with tax authorities for €14 million. OH Leuven, owned by King Power, keeps running up the losses with a deficit of €11 million.
Seven clubs managed to present positive financial results.
Union Saint-Gilloise emerged as the top performer with a profit of nearly €15 million. Club Brugge, KAA Gent and Anderlecht also reported profits, though the latter two relied heavily on substantial capital injections to achieve those positive outcomes.
Since 2020, club owners have injected a staggering €747 million into Belgian football, highlighting the immense financial efforts required to maintain a semblance of stability.
In the second division, Lommel, part the City Football Group multi-club ownership empire, suffered a loss of €8 million. Franc Borains were slapped with a points deduction because of insufficient equity.
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